2012 Total Newsroom Archive
December 17, 2012
Honkers Announce 2013 Schedule
(Click Here for Printable Schedule)
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today their complete game schedule for the 2013 Northwoods League season.
The Five-Time NWL Champions open their 20th season on May 29th, when they travel to Mankato, MN to take on the MoonDogs @ 7:05pm. Their home opener will then take place on Thursday, May 30th, when the Mankato MoonDogs come back to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. The 2013 season will see a return of inter-division play when the Honkers will take on the Battle Creek Bombers (Battle Creek, MI) and Lakeshore Chinooks (Mequon, WI) of the South Division. The league has played in division only for the last 3 seasons.
The Honkers, a member of the North Division, will play a 70 game schedule in 75 days, beginning on the road on May 29th and ending at home on August 11th. The first half of the season will be complete at the end of play on Wednesday, July 3rd with the second half beginning the following day. The NWL Playoff Series will take place from August 12th through August 17th. The winners of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series (August 12-14) with the winners advancing to the Summer Collegiate World Series (August 15-17), also a best-of-three. The Northwoods League’s 19th All-Star Game will take place on July 23rd in Eau Claire, WI.
Rochester Honkers home games will start at 7:05pm for games Monday through Saturday and Sundays will all start at 1:05pm. The Honkers will also play two mid-week day games (Monday, June 17th and Tuesday, July 9th) both starting at 1:05pm.
General admission ticket prices for the 2013 will be a flat rate of $6.00/person, but kids 4 and under are admitted for free. In 1994, the Honkers general admission tickets were $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for kids and seniors.
The Rochester Honkers are one of two remaining teams (Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks) from the Northwoods League’s inaugural season of 1994. The Honkers have won a league high Five NWL Championships: (1994, 1997, 1999, 2006, 2009).For the Rochester Honkers complete schedule, game times and ticket information, go to www.rochesterhonkers.com. The entire NWL schedule is available at www.northwoodsleague.com.
November 1, 2012
Honkers Announce TEAL Saturday, on November 17th!
(Rochester, MN)—We will be celebrating our own version of Black Friday, only Earlier!
Saturday, November 17, from10am to 6pm, will officially be Teal Saturday at the Honkers office. ALL in-stock items will be 30% OFF!!! There will also be free popcorn and hot chocolate available while you shop. If you are unable to stop by the office, just give us a call during the sale to place your order over the phone! (507) 289-1170 Office Location: 307 E Center Street, Rochester MN 55901
Octoberber 12, 2012
Justin Parr named Rawlings "Big Stick" recipeint
(Rochester, MN-NWL)—Rawlings ‘Big Stick’ Award Winners Announced
Alexandria's Vavra and Duluth's Ramsay Top the List at .381
(ROCHESTER, MN) The Northwoods League is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Rawlings “Big Stick” Award. This award is given to the player at each position who had the best batting average during the 2012 regular season.
Alexandria Beetles second baseman Tanner Vavra and Duluth Huskies outfielder James Ramsay each earned a Rawlings “Big Stick” by leading the league in batting average. Rochester Honkers outfielder Justin Parr was second in the league in batting at .370 while Lakeshore Chinooks outfielder Eric Aguilera finished third with a .369 average. Shortstop Brett Kay of the Thunder Bay Border Cats was the only player to earn both the Rawlings “Big Stick” and Rawlings “Finest in the Field” Award in 2012.
Rawlings has been rewarding the top hitters in the Northwoods League since 2007 in addition to honoring the best fielders since 2002. To honor their achievement the eight award winners will receive an engraved bat from Rawlings. The complete list of 2012 Rawlings “Big Stick” Award Winners is below.
|
Position |
Player |
NWL Team |
College |
Batting Average |
|
C |
Paul Karmeris |
Duluth |
North Florida |
.344 |
|
1B |
Michael Suchy |
Willmar |
Florida Gulf Coast |
.349 |
|
2B |
Tanner Vavra |
Alexandria |
Valparaiso |
.381 |
|
3B |
Brendon Hayden |
Wisconsin |
Virginia Tech |
.343 |
|
SS |
Brett Kay |
Thunder Bay |
Illinois State |
.320 |
|
OF |
James Ramsay |
Duluth |
South Florida |
.381 |
|
OF |
Justin Parr |
Rochester |
Illinois |
.370 |
|
OF |
Eric Aguilera |
Lakeshore |
Illinois State |
.369 |
To be eligible a player would’ve needed to have enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title. A player must have a minimum of 2.7 plate appearances per team game. Those players that saw time at more than one position qualify at the position they played most often.
The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America.
September 14, 2012
Honkers Announce New Field Manager for 2013, Their 20th Season!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the hiring of Brian Aguailar (Ag-u-lahr), Volunteer Assistant Coach from Oral Roberts University, as their new field manager for the 2013 season. Aguailar, who spent three seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization, becomes the Honkers 12th Field Manager since their inaugural season of 1994.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to coach in the Northwoods League, especially with the Rochester Honkers organization,” said Aguailar. “I like to thank Dan (Litzinger) and Kim (Archer) of the Rochester Honkers for the opportunity. They are a first class summer organization that does things the right way, with a passion and tradition to win, and that is something I definitely want to be a part of.”
Aguailar, who signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies in 2006, spent 3 years with the organization; the first two with the Tri City Dustdevils of the Northwest League, and his final year with the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League.
“The experience was invaluable,” said Aguailar. “Especially the work ethic and perseverance this game has taught me, and that is something you must have to succeed.”
Aguailar who started his collegiate playing career at Cuesta County CC (San Luis Obispo, CA) in 2003, achieved All-League honors and was team captain of two conference championships. He then moved on to Oral Roberts for the 2005-2006 seasons where he helped the Golden Eagles advance to 2 NCAA Regionals and 1 NCAA Super Regional appearance. Aguailar was captain of the squad that went on to the Super Regionals.
"I have played at every level, junior college, division one and professional, and I've seen what it takes to win at each level,“ said Aguailar. “I've been through the grind of trying to better yourself to the next level every day and know I can bestow those values and goals on the kids this summer.”
“We are very excited to have Brian lead our club into our 20th season,” said General Manager Dan Litzinger. “He brings the experience, knowledge and a true winning passion that the kids this summer will respect and relate to. He knows how to balance the everyday grind of summer ball while still having fun. We are very excited for 2013!”
Aguailar has spent the last two years at Oral Roberts working with the team’s hitters and catchers while serving as their First Base Coach. He has been a part of 4 championships at ORU, 2 as a player and 2 as a coach. He has also spent 3 of the last 4 summers as an assistant coach for the San Luis Obispo Blues in the California Collegiate League. Aguailar takes over for Zach Etheredge who finished the 2012 season 29-41.
The Rochester Honkers are expected to announce their first player signings for their 20th season of 2013 soon. The 2013 Northwoods League schedule is anticipated to be announced before the end of the year.
September 4,, 2012
Honkers Voice Returns for 2013
(Rochester, MN)—Michael Broskowski, the 2012 Northwoods League Co-Broadcaster of the Year, will take his place behind the microphone as the official voice of the Rochester Honkers for a second season in a row in 2013.
Broskowski, a current senior at Western Illinois University, is very excited to make his return to Rochester for another summer of calling Honkers baseball.
“My first season in Rochester was awesome,” said Broskowski. “I couldn’t have asked to work for a better organization. I really enjoyed the fans, the city, and the tremendous Rochester staff, and I am looking forward to a successful 2013 season.”
Broskowski has been calling different sports teams for years now and has been recognized numerous times for his impressive work. For the 2011-2012 school year, Michael received the award for Best Sports Play-by-Play as the television voice for the Fighting Leatherneck football team, and the Best Sports Radio Play-by-Play as the radio voice of the WIU women’s basketball team.
The Jefferson, WI native was also honored by the entire state of Illinois as a finalist in the Illinois News Broadcasters Association student competition. Broskowski finished in second place in the radio play-by-play category, a competition that included every single school in the entire state of Illinois.
The Honkers will aim to return to their traditional winning ways in what is their 20th season in 2013 after finishing the last two seasons with losing records. The Honkers have won more NWL titles than any other team with five in their 19 previous seasons.
Broskowski understands how special it is that the Honkers are one of two original remaining NWL franchises since the league was founded in 1994.
“I am honored to be a part of such an important year in Honkers baseball history. The city of Rochester should recognize how cool it is that the team has been here for so long while other teams have come and gone.”
The Honkers finished the 2012 season tied for last in the North Division with a 29-41 overall record, and broadcaster Michael Broskowski was the only NWL post-season accolade recipient with the honor of Co-Broadcaster of the Year.
“I’d like to thank owners Kim Archer and Dan Litzinger for having me back for another season. I am very excited to work for them once again.”
August 12, 2012
Honkers End Season With Sweep of Rox Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers picked up the victory in the final game of the 2012 Northwoods League season by defeating the St. Cloud Rox 6-0 at Mayo Field in Rochester, MN.
Third baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) delivered the big blow for the Honkers with a grand slam to right field in the bottom of the seventh to cap a five-run inning. The blast added some breathing room to the 1-0 Rochester lead through the first six innings.
The Honkers started the scoring with a run in the bottom of the opening frame on an RBI groundout from the bat of first baseman Chris Manning (Doane) to score second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas), who reached on a leadoff single.
Honkers starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) was in dominant form, allowing just two hits over 5.0 innings of shutout baseball. With the victory, Johnson has picked up a win in his last three starts to improve his record to an even 3-3 in 2012.
Right-hander Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) tossed the final 4.0 innings in relief of Johnson and did not allow a run to preserve the shutout and earn his third save of the summer for Rochester.
Right fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) went 0-4 but had a pair of crowd-pleasing outfield assists to gun down a couple of runners trying to advance to third base. Shortstop Mike Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) finished the game 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) went 1 for 3 to end the season in the midst of a 24-game hitting streak.
With the win, the Honkers sweep the two-game set and finish the season with an overall record of 29-41. The team went 15-20 in the first half and compiled a 14-21 record for the second half.
In other Northwoods League news, the La Crosse Loggers lost to the Green Bay Bullfrogs 12-3 to fall one game shy of the 2006 Honkers NWL record for wins in a season. The ’06 Honkers finished that year 50-17 to set the mark.
August 11, 2012
Justin Parr Sets Honkers Season Hits Mark
(Rochester, MN)— In the midst of the longest hitting streak in Rochester Honkers Baseball history, outfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) broke another record on Saturday night. In his final at bat of the 13-12 come-from-behind victory over the St. Cloud Rox, Parr singled to center field for his 89th base knock of the season, one more than Kevin Lucas’s 88 in 1996.
Parr set the record for longest hitting streak in a Honkers uniform on Wednesday night when he belted his sixth home run of the season for a hit in his 20th consecutive game. The previous Honkers record was a streak of 19 games by Chris Kahl in 1997.
Parr has been unloading on Northwoods League North Division pitching and on Saturday night the junior from the University of Illinois collected four hits in five at bats, including his eighth homer of the 2012 NWL season. In his last ten games, Parr has hit .500 with six long balls and 14 RBIs. The Chillicothe, IL native has raised his batting average up to a team-high .371. His hitting streak continues to grow as he has now picked up a hit in 23 straight contests.
Two significant batting records in a span of four days; makes for a pretty good week.
August 11, 2012
Lukkason's Slam Lifts Honkers Over Rox Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— There were fireworks on and off the field and records being broken at Mayo Field on Saturday night as the Honkers came all the way from behind to beat the St. Cloud Rox by a final score of 13-12.
With the Honkers trailing by a score of 12-9 in the bottom of the eighth inning, shortstop Mike Lukkason stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered with a grand slam to left-center field to put the Honkers on top.
Dakota Smith (Kansas) came in to close the game and shut the Rox down 1-2-3 to earn his fifth save of the season.
The Honkers offense registered 16 hits and belted three home runs in the victory.
The game got off to a rather inauspicious start however.
Rochester starter Phil Richmond (Coe) lasted just 1.0 inning in his first official start of the summer. Richmond allowed five total runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk, while striking out one Rox batter in that opening frame.
The Honkers responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a Justin Parr (Illinois) solo home run and a three-run blast from catcher Chris Manning (Doane). The bomb for Parr was his eighth of the summer and it extended his Honkers-record hitting streak to 23 games.
The Rox scored three runs in the third and one in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but the Honkers offense did not back down. They plated two of their own in the fifth and sixth, and the Lukkason bomb capped off a four-run eighth inning.
Parr finished the game 4 for 5 to become the Honkers single-season hits leader with 89 total base knocks. The previous record was held by Kevin Lucas, who collected 88 hits in 1996.
Reid Roper (Illinois) got the win after pitching 2.2 innings of one-run baseball on three hits. Roper is now 3-3.
Manning joined Justin Parr with a four-hit game of his own, and also scored twice and drove in three runs. First baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 2 for 5 with a run.
Tomorrow, August 12th, the Honkers (13-21, 28-41) and Rox (20-15, 29-40) square off for the series finale, and last game of the 2012 season, at 1:05 PM in Rochester, MN. Righty Kevin Johnson (Illinois) will get the start on the hill for the Honkers. In 10 games, Johnson is 2-3 with a 5.70 ERA. Starting for the Rox is right-hander Lucas Long (Arizona). Long has a 3-1 record and an ERA of 4.08 in six games.
August 10, 2012
Honkers Blow Eight-Run Lead, Lose Series Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Honkers pitching staff blew one of their biggest leads of the season on Friday to fall by a final score of 15-12.
On a more positive note, left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) picked up a base hit in the opening inning to extend his Honkers-record hitting streak to 22 straight games.
The Honkers were up by a score of 8-0 after their first three half innings at the plate. Their six-run third inning was highlighted by a bases-clearing double from the bat of centerfielder Jordan Parr (Illinois).
The Beetles got on the board in the bottom half of the frame thanks to a two-run double from catcher Robert Case (St. Johns). The Beetles scored three runs off of Honkers starter Chris Noble (Pikeville), who lasted 5.0 innings and struck out four to pick up the no-decision.
Jordan Parr added his eighth home run of the season in the fifth, and went 3 for 5 with four RBis to earn Northwoods League Player of the Night honors.
The Honkers were up 11-3 going to the Alexandria half of the seventh inning when the wheels fell off and the wagon exploded.
The rally began when second baseman Tanner Vavra (Valparaiso) belted a two-run homer off Rochester reliever Nicholas Pecha (Dakota Wesleyan) to cut the lead to 11-5. Designated hitter Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) blasted a grand slam off of Tyler Lohr (Doane) and before anyone knew it the Beetles had sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 12 times on just five hits.
The Honkers used four pitchers on the night, including three in that disastrous seventh inning.
Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton), Reid Roper (Illinois), and Mike Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) each collected two hits for the losing Honkers.
The Honkers (12-21, 27-41) are back in Rochester, MN to play the St. Cloud Rox (20-14, 29-39) at 7:05 PM tomorrow, August 11th. Righty Phil Richmond (Coe) will start for the Honkers against Rox right-hander Ty Jackson. Richmond is 0-0 with a 5.63 ERA in eight appearances, all in relief. Jackson is 2-1 in 15 games with an ERA of 4.30.
Following the game will be a Fireworks Extravaganza presented by the Rochester Honkers and KTTC
August 9, 2012
Honkers Pound Beetles 11-3 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers took game two of the three-game series with the Alexandria Beetles on Thursday night by a final score of 11-3.
The Beetles scored first with two runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run blast from their designated hitter Ben Moore (Alabama).
The Honkers responded with three runs in the top of the second inning on a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single from the bat of right fielder Jordan Parr (Illinois).
Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) extended his Honkers hitting-streak record to 21 games in the first inning on a bunt single, then extended the Honkers lead to 4-2 on a solo home run in the third. The solo shot was Justin Parr’s seventh homer of the summer, and he finished the night 4 for 5 with four RBIs.
The Honkers went ahead 7-3 in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) to score Jordan Parr, and an RBI single from Justin Parr.
Honker starter Mason Pingel (Western Illinois) allowed just three earned runs on six hits over his 8.0 innings of work, while striking out nine batters. With the win, Pingel is now 1-0.
Rochester continued to pour it on in the top of the ninth on three hits to make it an 11-3 lead.
Honkers designated hitter Jared Allen (Tennessee) went 2 for 4 on the night with a run and two RBIs. Jordan Parr and third baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) also went 2 for 4 in the Honkers victory.
The Honkers (12-20, 27-40) and Beetles (18-14, 31-36) will play the series finale tomorrow at 7:05 PM in Alexandria, MN. On the mound for the Honkers will be right-hander Chris Noble (Pikeville), who is 2-4 in 13 games this summer with an ERA of 6.56. Noble has faced Alexandria three times this summer and is 2-0 against the North Division opponent. In his last outing against the Beetles on July 16th, Noble worked through 2.2 innings of relief and surrendered one earned run on four hits in a 9-5 Honkers loss.
Starting on the hill for the Beetles will be righty Jon Reed (Memphis). Reed is 5-1 with a 4.45 ERA in 14 games and carries a 1-1 record against the Honkers in 2012.
The Honkers are back home in Rochester, MN for a two-game series with the St. Cloud Rox on Saturday, August 9th. First pitch from Mayo Field is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
Stay after the game for a Fireworks Extravaganza presented by the Honkers and KTTC.
August 8, 2012
Honkers Lose Despite Three Home Runs Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The balls were flying out of Knute Nelson Memorial Park in Alexandria, MN on Wednesday night, but the Honkers fell to the Beetles by a score of 8-5, despite smacking three home runs.
The Beetles scored first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning on four hits and an error by third baseman Reid Roper (Illinois).
The Honkers got one of those back in the top of the second inning when first baseman Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) scored from third base on a wild pitch. The Beetles then scored two more in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-1 lead.
Center fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) launched a solo home run in the top of the fifth to improve his hitting streak to 20 games. The blast was Parr’s sixth home run of the season and it cut the deficit to two runs at 4-2. Four batters later with a runner on, Roper belted a two-run homer to tie the game at 4-4.
In the sixth, catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) put the Honkers on top 5-4 with a solo shot of his own. Wallach finished the night 2 for 5.
The Beetles took the lead once again in the bottom of the seventh on four hits highlighted by a two-run home run from the bat of Alexandria second baseman Tanner Vavra (Valparaiso). After seven frames, the Beetles honed an 8-5 lead.
Rochester starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) worked 7.0 innings and surrendered eight runs (six earned) on 13 hits. With the loss, Kent’s record falls to 3-6.
Beetles closer Anthony Bazzani (Eastern Kentucky) picked up his 15th save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Tomorrow, August 9th, the Honkers (11-20, 26-40) play game two of the three-game series with the Beetles (18-13, 31-35) in Alexandria, MN at 7:05 PM. On the hill for the Honkers is right-hander Mason Pingel (Western Illinois), who makes his second start of the summer. In four games this season, Pingel is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Lefty Ali Simpson (Bethune-Cookman) gets the starting nod for the Beetles. Simpson carries a 2-1 record with a 5.75 ERA in 10 outings.
The Honkers are back in Rochester, MN to play the St. Cloud Rox at 7:05 PM on Saturday, August 11th.
August 8, 2012
Podein is Honkers Final Celebrity Server
(Rochester, MN)—Shjon Podein, a Rochester, MN native who played 11 seasons in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, and St. Louis Blues, will serve as the final Celebrity Server this Saturday, August 11th at Mayo Field when the Rochester Honkers take on the St. Cloud Rox. Fans can look for Shjon as he “serves” your favorite beverages out on the sports deck at Mayo Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. Gates open at 6:00 PM and tailgating begins at 5:00 PM.
Podein made his NHL debut in the 1992-93 season with the Edmonton Oilers. The left winger later signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1994 where he went on to play five seasons and over 300 games. Podein was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 1998 where he aided in winning a Stanley Cup. After winning game 7 to capture the title, Podein didn’t take his uniform off for a full day, which is something he is remembered for in the hockey world.
Podein is also known for his charity work. Shjon founded the “Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation”, which assists sick and underprivileged children, and was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2001, an annual honor given to the NHL player who shows outstanding leadership qualities on and off the ice and who makes a significant difference in his community.
Podein is a graduate of John Marshall High School and a former hockey player at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He is now the current head hockey coach at St. Louis Park High School in St. Louis Park, MN.
August 6, 2012
Honkers Drop Series Finale 10-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Honkers could not complete the two-game sweep of the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Monday night as they fell by a final score of 10-5 in Rochester, MN.
The Border Cats got on the board early with three runs in the top of the first on three hits including a leadoff solo shot by right fielder Andrew Ayers (Sacramento State).
The Honkers tied it 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run home run off the bat of left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois). The long ball was Parr’s fifth of the season and it extended his hitting streak to 19 games. The Chillicothe, IL native beat out an infield single in the eighth as well to finished the night 2 for 4 with a run and three RBIs.
The Border Cats plated three more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to go ahead 7-3.
Rochester starter Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) labored through 5.0 innings of work allowing seven total runs (six earned) on eight hits and a walk. Miller was handed the loss to move his record to 3-4 for the season.
A Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) RBI single in the bottom half of the sixth made it 7-4, but the Thunder Bay offense continued to respond and wound up with the 10-5 victory over the Honkers.
Center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) finished the night 2 for 4 out of the Rochester leadoff spot.
The Honkers will take the day off tomorrow before traveling to Alexandria, MN for the first of a three-game set with the Beetles on Wednesday, August 8th.
Starting on the mound for the Honkers in that series opener will be lefty Matt Kent (Texas A&M). Kent is 3-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 10 starts. In his last outing against Alexandria on June 21st, Kent tossed 7.0 innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits to earn his second win of the summer.
Starting for the Beetles will be left hander Shawn Reisgraf (St. Cloud State). Reidgraf is 2-4 in 11 games with an 8.34 ERA.
The Honkers will be back home on Saturday, August 11th for a two-game series with the St. Cloud Rox.
August 5, 2012
Honkers Defeat Border Cats 7-4 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers took game one of a two-game set with the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Sunday afternoon in Rochester, MN by a final score of 7-4.
The Honkers offense jumped out early with four runs in the bottom of the first inning highlighted by an
RBI double from designated hitter Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton). Wallach finished the game 2 for 5 at the plate.
Honkers starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) picked up his second victory of the summer by tossing 5.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on seven hits. Johnson sent down two batters on strikes on his way to improving his record to 2-3.
The Border Cats cut the Honkers lead to just two runs in the top of the fifth, but Rochester answered with two more runs in the bottom half of the frame on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout by third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) to make it a 7-4 Rochester lead.
Wallach pitched the final inning without yielding a run to pick up his first save of the summer.
Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) went 3 for 5 with a run scored to bring his average up to a team-leading .352 mark.
Center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) and catcher Chris Manning (Doane) each went 2 for 4 in the Honkers victory.
The Honkers (11-18, 26-38) will play game two of the set with Thunder Bay (13-16, 29-35) tomorrow night, August 6th, at 7:05 PM at home in Rochester, MN. Starting on the mound for the Honkers is lefty Jared Miller (Vanderbilt). Miller is 3-3 in seven appearances with a 4.36 ERA. Opposing Miller for the Border Cats will be fellow left-hander Garrett Hughes (Stanford). Hughes hones a 2-1 record in six starts with a 3.19 ERA.
The first 1,000 fans will receive a set of 2012 Rochester Honkers player trading cards.
August 4, 2012
Honkers Bucked in Series Finale 3-1 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers lost the finale of a three-game set with the Waterloo Bucks on Saturday night by a score of 3-1 in Waterloo, IA.
With the loss, the Honkers drop two out three games for the series against Waterloo.
The Bucks scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning without collecting a base hit. Honkers starter Nick Dolsky (DMACC) walked three total batters in the first frame, including one with the bases loaded to allow one Waterloo score. The Bucks scored another run on a sacrifice fly.
Despite the control issues, Dolsky pitched a solid 5.0 innings. The 6’8” right-hander allowed just two earned runs on one hit and five walks, while striking out four Waterloo batters. Dolsky was a victim of no run support, however, and he picked up the loss to move his record to 1-3.
The Honkers finally put a run on the board in the top of the seventh inning when left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) hit his fourth home run of the season to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Parr went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI on his solo home run.
An RBI single by Waterloo catcher Dan Sheppard (Iowa) in the seventh increased the Bucks lead to 3-1.
Honkers reliever Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) work 3.0 innings in relief of Dolsky and gave up one earned run on three hits and two walks. Millbrath also struck out five batters.
The Rochester offense left nine runners on base in the defeat.
Waterloo starter Connor Cline (St. John’s MN) picked up the victory after pitching 5.2 innings of shutout baseball to improve his record to 2-3.
Rochester first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 2 for 4.
The Honkers (10-18, 25-38) are back home tomorrow, August 5th, to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats (13-15, 29-34) at 1:05 PM at Mayo Field. Lefty Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) will start for the Honkers. In seven 2012 Northwoods League appearances, Miller is 3-3 with a 4.36 ERA.
On July 2nd, Miller tossed 7.0 innings of one-run baseball against the Border Cats in Thunder Bay, Canada to pick up his second win of the season in a 3-2 Honkers victory.
Starting for Thunder Bay will be lefty James Buckelew (Belmont), who is 3-3 in ten games with a 5.50 ERA.
August 3, 2012
Honkers Blow Early Lead, Lost to Bucks 7-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers could not hold an early lead and go on to lose 7-5 to the Waterloo Bucks in Waterloo, IA on Friday night.
The Honkers plated two in the top of the first inning when left fielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) led off the game with a double and was driven in two batters later when his twin brother Justin Parr (Illinois) ripped a two-run home run.
The Honkers offense scored two more in the third on an RBI single by first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) and a double play groundout from Justin Parr to bring in another score to make it a 4-0 Honkers lead.
Honkers starter Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) pitched his way out of a jam in the bottom half of the third when the Bucks loaded the bases with just one out. Nelson proceeded to strike out two of the Bucks most productive hitters, catcher Austin Barrett (Mercer) and left fielder Kevin Kaczmarski (Evanville), to end the threat.
The Bucks finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a huge inning to knock Nelson out of the game. The Bucks scored seven total runs in the frame to take a 7-4 lead. The final line for Nelson was 4.2 innings pitched, seven earned runs on 11 hits and a walk, and eight strikeouts. Nelson is now 1-4 on the season.
The Honkers scored a run in the eighth inning on a Justin Parr fielder’s choice, but couldn’t get anymore as they dropped the second game of the set to make it a 1-1 series tie. Justin Parr went 1 for 4 with the home run and three RBIs.
Lankford finished the night 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Reliever Elliott Engle (Doane) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four Waterloo hitters.
The Honkers (10-17, 25-37) and Bucks (13-14, 32-30) will play the finale of the three-game set tomorrow night, August 4th, in Waterloo, IA at 6:35 PM. The tall right-hander Nick Dolsky (DMACC) gets the start for Rochester. Dolsky is 1-2 in five starts with an ERA of 3.70.
The Honkers will be back home on Sunday, August 5th to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 1:05 PM.
August 2, 2012
Honkers Rally for 7-5 Win Over Bucks Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers rallied late to beat the Waterloo Bucks 7-5 on Thursday night in Waterloo, IA thanks to a pair of huge long balls by the Rochester offense.
Right fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) was the hero with his game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to take a 7-5 lead. Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) hit the game-tying solo home run two batters earlier to make the score 5-5.
This game was all Bucks through the first six innings however. They struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead off of Rochester starter Chris Noble (Pikeville). Waterloo plated another run in the fourth to make it a three-run lead.
Noble lasted a strong 7.0 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks. Noble also struck out three Bucks batters on his way to earning the no-decision.
The Honkers trailed 3-0 going into the top of the seventh inning when the bats finally started to get going. The Honkers offense scored three times highlighted by a two-run double from the bat of Wallach. Wallach went 3 for 5 on the night with three RBIs.
Rochester took the lead 4-3 in the eighth on an RBI single by shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) to plate Lahn. Lahn went 2 for 3 with two runs and two and RBIs.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Bucks scored two runs on a two-run double by third baseman Connor McClain (Indiana State) to take a 5-4 lead over the Honkers and put the pressure on the Rochester offense, but the Honkers were up to the challenge.
The home runs from Wallach and Lahn proved to be the difference in the game as the Honkers snapped their three-game losing streak with the victory.
Dakota Smith (Kansas) picked up his first win of the season in relief.
Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) finished his night 3 for 5 in the Rochester win.
The Honkers (10-16, 25-36) and Bucks (12-14, 31-30) will play game two tomorrow night, Friday, August 3rd, in Waterloo, IA. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM. Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) will start on the hill for the Honkers against Waterloo starter Mikey Ramirez (Citrus). Nelson is 1-3 in nine total games with a solid 2.96 ERA. Ramirez has a 1-6 record in 13 games with an ERA of 6.32.
The Honkers will be back home on Sunday, August 5th to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 1:05 PM.
August 1, 2012
Honkers Pounded by Stingers 20-3 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—Nothing went right for the Rochester Honkers on Wednesday night in a 20-3 beating at the hands of the Willmar Stinger in Willmar, MN.
With the loss, the Honkers suffer a three-game sweep of the first place Stingers.
Willmar started their hitting off with four straight singles off of Rochester starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) in the bottom of the first to score two runs. Two throwing errors from center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) did not help the cause, and the Stingers had an early 2-0 lead.
The Stingers scored four more times in the bottom of the second on five hits and three more errors by the Honkers defense to make it a 6-0 lead.
Kent lasted just 4.0 innings in what was undoubtedly his least effective outing of the summer. The lefty allowed nine total runs (five earned) on 12 hits and a walk. With the defeat, Kent is now 3-5.
The Honkers got on the board in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single by left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois), but in the bottom half of the frame, the Stingers responded thanks to a long three-run home run by Willmar second baseman Kenny Roberts (Alabama), and the lead was all of a sudden 12-1.
After the Rochester offense scored another run in the top of the sixth, the Stingers came right back and continued to pour it on. Before you knew it, the score was 20-2 after seven innings.
Jared Allen (Tennessee) hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to make it 20-3.
In the Honkers loss, Jordan Parr went 2 for 5 and Reid Roper went 1 for 3.
The Honkers (9-16, 24-36) travel to Waterloo on Thursday, August 2nd to take on the Bucks (11-13, 30-29) with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM. Right-hander Chris Noble (Pikeville) will start on the mound for Rochester against Waterloo righty Brock Hudgens (Charlotte). Noble is 2-4 in 12 outings with a 7.26 ERA. Hudgens is 4-2 with a 3.22 ERA in ten starts.
July 31, 2012
Honkers Victim of Walk-off Homer Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers lost Tuesday night to the Stingers in Willmar, MN 4-2 on a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
With the loss the Honkers have now lost the first two games of the three-game series.
Willmar struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning off Rochester starter Mason Pingel (Western Illinois). Both runs were unearned due to an error by third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois).
Pingel pitched extremely well in his first start of the summer. The Western Illinois freshman tossed 5.0 innings and allowed just the two unearned runs on a hit and a walk while striking out three Willmar batters. Pingel surrendered just one hit but was given the no decision despite his strong performance.
Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) pitched 3.0 effective shutout innings in relief of Pingel.
Down 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning, Reid Roper (Illinois) connected with a clutch two-RBI single to tie the game 2-2, only to allow Stingers shortstop Max Kuhn (Kentucky) to hit the game-winning home run off of him in the bottom half of the frame. Roper was handed the loss and falls to 2-3.
Honkers center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) went 2 for 3 in the game and left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) finished the night 2 for 4 with a run.
The Honkers (9-15, 24-35) and Stingers (15-9, 35-24) will play the finale of the series tomorrow in Willmar, MN at 7:05 PM. Lefty Matt Kent gets the start for the Honkers against Stingers left hander Tanner Banks (Utah). Kent is 3-4 with a 2.39 ERA in nine games. Kent leads the Honkers pitching staff with 67.2 innings pitched. Banks has only pitched in 3.2 innings this summer but has not yet allowed a run.
The Honkers will be back in Rochester on Sunday August 5th to take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats.
July 30, 2012
Honkers Fall 4-2 to Stingers Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers lost the first of a three-game set to the Willmar Stingers on Monday night in Willmar, MN by a final score of 4-2.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when Stingers leadoff hitter Forrest Allday smacked a two-run double. The Stingers added two more in the sixth to make it 4-0.
The Honkers finally got on the board in the top of the seventh inning with two runs. The first score came on an RBI single by third baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) and the second on an RBI fielder’s choice from the bat of shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan).
Rochester lefty starter Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) pitched 6.0 innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk. Miller picked up the loss and moves his record to 3-3.
The Honkers loaded the bases in the eighth but a double play ended the threat.
Elliot Engle (Doane) pitched 2.0 effective innings in relief of Miller and did not allow a run.Lukkason and first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) each went 2 for 4 in the defeat.
Game two featuring the Honkers and Stingers will take place tomorrow night at 7:05 PM in Willmar, MN. Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) will start on the hill for the Honkers. Millbrath has made nine appearances for the Honkers this summer and owns a 2-3 record with a 7.01 ERA.
The Honkers will not play again at home until Sunday, August 5th when they take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats at Mayo Field. The game starts at 1:05 PM.
July 30, 2012
Game-worn Ovarian Cancer Awareness Jerseys Bidding Ends 8/5
(Rochester, MN)–There is a change in plans for the silent auction of the ovarian cancer awareness jerseys that the Honkers were sporting on Sunday, July 29th. Fans will now have all week to bid for their favorite player’s game worn “awareness” jersey, which were made possible by the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA), Northside Mini Storage, and y-105FM. The bidding will end next Sunday, August 5th at the end of the seventh inning when the Honkers play the Thunder Bay Border Cats at Mayo Field. The starting price for each jersey is $60 and the minimum bidding increment is $5.
To place a bid, call the Honkers office at 289-1170 or email info@rochesterhonkers.com.
All proceeds will be given to MOCA for use in ovarian cancer research.
Payment options:
Cash, check (to MOCA), or credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discovery, and American Express) will be accepted. A $5.00 processing fee will be charged for ALL credit card purchases.
Bid high and bid often and help bring awareness to ovarian cancer!
July 29, 2012
Honkers Tame Huskies 6-2 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers were able to hold on for a 6-2 victory over the Duluth Huskies on Sunday in Rochester, MN to split the two-game series.
Rochester was finally able to defeat Duluth pitcher Joey Novak (Harvard), who was undefeated in his previous two appearances against the Honkers. Novak is now 7-2.
The Honkers scored first with an RBI single from right fielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) to score shortstop Mike Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) from second base in the bottom of the third inning. Parr finished the game 5 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs.
Catcher Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) made it 2-0 in the fourth inning on a solo home run to right field. Lankford also had a great day at the plate with 3 hits in 4 at bats with the home run and two and RBIs.
Kevin Johnson (Illinois) was impressive for the Honkers with 8.0 innings of two-run baseball. Johnson allowed eight Duluth hits and struck out five to pick up his first victory of the summer. The Fighting Illini hurler is now 1-3.
Rochester scored two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, and one in the eighth to go ahead 6-2 and put the Huskies away.
Dakota Smith finished his day at the plate 2 for 4 a run and an RBI.
The Honkers (9-13, 24-33) travel to Willmar, MN tomorrow, July 30th to begin a three-game set with the Willmar Stingers. First pitch from Bill Taunton Stadium is set for 7:05 PM. On the mound for Rochester will be lefty Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who is 3-2 with a 3.96 ERA in six games. The Stingers will start right-hander Kyle Fischer (St. Cloud State). Fischer is 3-1 in nine games with an ERA of 5.85.
The Honkers will not be back home until Sunday, August 5th when they battle the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 1:05 PM.
There is a change in plans for the silent auction of the ovarian cancer awareness jerseys that the Honkers were sporting today. Fans will now have all week to bid for their favorite player’s game worn “awareness” jersey, which were made possible by the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA), Northside Mini Storage, and y-105FM. The bidding will end next Sunday, August 5th at the end of the seventh inning when the Honkers play the Thunder Bay Border Cats at Mayo Field. The starting price for each jersey is $60 and the minimum bidding increment is $5.
To place a bid, call the Honkers office at 289-1170 or email info@rochesterhonkers.com.
All proceeds will be given to MOCA for use in ovarian cancer research.
July 29, 2012
Jerseys to be Auctioned Off Today
(Rochester, MN)-Today is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day at Mayo Field presented by Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA), Northside Mini Storage, and y-105FM.
There will be a silent auction during the game for fans to bid on the "awareness" jerseys, worn by the players, staff, and Slider, with proceeds going to MOCA for use in ovarian cancer research.
Bids for the game-worn jerseys will be accepted from 12:00 PM today until the end of the 7th inning.
Minimum Starting Bid: $60
Minimum Bidding Increments: $5
CALL IN FOR YOUR BID #
For those who cannot attend today's game can still participate by calling and getting a bid #. Please call 507-254-0333 or 507-250-4031 to receive a bid # and be prepated to provide the following:
1.) Your name and cellphone #
2.) Jersey # you are bidding on
3.) MAXIMUM bid limit. (We will monitoryour jersey and only bid the minimum required to win that jersey. We will outbid any other bid for you only up to your maximum bid amount. If the bid reaches your maximum limit we will text you back to see if you'd like to raise your maximum limitor stop bidding. Minimum starting bid per jersey is $60, with minimum $5 bidding increments.)
Please be aware that bidding ends at the end of the 7th inning!
***All winning bid payments must be received no later than 5:00 PM CDT, or the jersey will be awared to the next highest winning bid.
Payment options:
Cash, check (to MOCA), or credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discovery, and American Express) will be accepted. A $5.00 processing fee will be charged for ALL credit card purchases.
Bid high and bid often and help bring awareness to ovarian cancer!
July 28, 2012
Honkers Fall to Huskies 7-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers drop the first game of two with the Duluth Huskies on Saturday night by a final score of 7-5 in Rochester, MN.
Nick Dolsky (DMACC) started for the Honkers but failed to advance past the first inning. Dolsky surrendered four total first-inning earned runs on three hits and three walks to give the Huskies an early lead. Dolsky was handed the loss to move his record to 1-2.
Rochester plated a single run in both the first and second innings. In the first, center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) scored on a wild pitch and in the second, third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo) came in to score on an RBI groundout by second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas).
Trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Honkers lineup rallied for three runs to tighten the Duluth lead at 6-5. Two runs came in on two wild pitches and the third on an RBI single from the bat of Defazio, who had two hits in three at bats.
Honkers right-hander Jordan Milbrath (Augustana) tossed 5.0 effective innings in long relief and allowed just two earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Protacio went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI to go along with a couple of dazzling plays in the field. Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) finished 2 for 5.
With the defeat, the Honkers are now 3-6 against the Huskies this year with just one more to play.
Tomorrow the Honkers (8-13, 23-33) and Huskies (13-9, 32-24) complete the two-game set and the season series in Rochester, MN at 1:05 PM. Kevin Johnson (Illinois) gets the start for Rochester against Duluth’s ace Joey Novak (Harvard). Johnson is 0-3 in eight games with a 7.08 ERA. Novak hones a league-leading 7-1 record in ten starts with a 2.73 ERA.
Novak has dominated the Honkers in two games this summer, winning both with a 0.69 ERA.
July 27, 2012
Honkers Trampled by Bucks 17-9 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers dropped game-two of the two-game set to the Waterloo Bucks on Friday night in Rochester by a final score of 17-9.
The Bucks had two huge innings with six runs in the second inning and eight in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
Honkers starter Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) did not have his best stuff and allowed seven runs on eight hits over 4.0 innings of work. However, none of those runs were earned as the Honkers played poor defense behind their starter, and committed three errors on the night.
Lefty reliever Brock Adcock (Illinois Central) made his Honkers debut but only lasted 1.0 frame after yielding a whopping eight runs on nine Waterloo hits including two hard-hit home runs.
The Rochester offense finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth by pushing five runs across the plate highlighted by a two-run triple from center fielder Jordan Parr (Illinois). Parr finished the night 2 for 5 with four RBIs.
Catcher Chris Manning (Doane) also made his debut in a Honkers uniform and went 2 for 3 with a solo home run in the ninth. Reid Roper (Illinois) picked up a couple of hits in the game as well.
The Honkers (8-12, 23-32) play the Duluth Huskies (12-8, 31-24) tomorrow, July 28th at 7:05 PM in Rochester, MN for the first game of a two-game set. Righty Nick Dolsky (DMACC) will start on the mound for the Honkers. Dolsky, a former Northwoods League Midseason All Star in 2011, is 1-1 in four starts with a 2.00 ERA this summer.
Scheduled to start for the Duluth Huskies is lefty Joey Webb (Menlo), who is 2-3 in nine games with an ERA of 5.89.
The first 500 Mayo Field fans will receive a Honkers pennant presented by City Auto Glass and Newstalk 1340 KROC.
July 26, 2012
Wallach Hero as Honkers Win 8-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers took game one of a two-game series with the Waterloo Bucks in dramatic fashion on Thursday night in Rochester, MN by a final score of 8-5.
Catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) was the evening’s hero with a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to break the tie-game and put the contest out of reach for Waterloo.
This one was back and forth all night.
The Honkers struck first with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single from third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo) to plate first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M), who earlier reached on a double down the right field line.
The Bucks answered with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. Left fielder Kevin Kaczmarski knocked his Waterloo-leading ninth home run of the summer with a runner on base to break the 1-1 tie.
Rochester starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) worked 7.0 innings and allowed three runs (all unearned) on five hits. Kent also struck out seven Bucks batters but was given the no-decision.
The Honkers offense would not go down too easily though as they scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh capped by a massive three-run homer by Defazio. The blast was his sixth of the Northwoods League season. Defazio finished the night 2 for 4 with four RBIs.
The Bucks tied it once again with a deep two-run homerun from Waterloo Austin Barrett (Mercer) to make it 5-5 before the big three-run dinger from Wallach.
Lefty Jared Miller pitched the final 1.2 innings with no trouble at all to pick up his third victory of the season and improve to 3-2.
Lankford went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored in the Honkers victory.
The Honkers (8-11, 23-31) and Bucks (9-10, 28-26) will play the finale of the two-game set tomorrow night at 7:05 PM in Rochester, MN. Righty Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) will start on the hill for the Honkers and oppose Bucks right-handed starter Brock Hudgens (Charlotte).
Nelson is 1-2 in eight outings with a 3.47 ERA. The San Francisco native made his first start of the summer on July 17th against Mankato and earned the victory after pitching 7.0 innings and allowing just two earned runs in a 3-2 Honkers win. Hudgens is 3-2 in nine starts with a 3.63 ERA.
Stay after the game for a Fireworks Extravaganza at Mayo Field.
July 24, 2012
Podratz Dominates Home Run Derby
(Rochester, MN)– Rochester Honkers designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) hit 23 total home runs out of Madison's Warner Park to win the 2012 Northwoods League Home Run Derby on Tuesday, July 24th in front of a sold out crowd in Madison,WI.
Podratz hit 13 home runs in the first two rounds of the derby to earn a pass to the final round against Eau Claire's Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State). Gillaspie knocked six dingers out of the park to jump out in front of the Honkers slugger. Podratz then stepped up to the plate needing hit six home runs tie Gillaspie, but instead put on a clinic with ten long balls in the final round to win the championship.
In the 2012 Northwoods League All Star Game, the South Division won by a final score of 4-3 behind home runs from Madison's Tyler Marincov (North Florida), Eau Claire's Alex Real (New Mexico), and Eau Claire's Ty Forney (UTPB).
Honkers pitcher Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts for North Division. Rochester center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) went 0 for 2 and Podratz went 0 for 0 with a walk.
July 22, 2012
Honkers Blow Early Lead, Lose in 10th Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers could not hold on to an early lead on Sunday afternoon and ended up losing 7-6 in extra innings against the Rox in St. Cloud, MN.
The Honkers jumped out in front right away thanks to a first inning grand slam from the bat of catcher Cole Lankford (Texas A&M). The homerun was Lankford’s second of the summer. Lankford drove in another run in the top of the fourth on an RBI single, and he finished the game 2 for 4 with five RBIs.
The Honkers 6-1 lead would evaporate over the course of this game as the Rochester bullpen could not keep the Rox offense off the bases.
Starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) worked 5.0 innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks. Johnson also struck out five Rox batters and was on his way to earning his first victory of the season, but wound up with the no decision.
Honkers reliever Phil Richmond (Coe) tossed 1.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits while striking out three. Chris Noble (Pikeville) pitched the next 1.1 innings and gave up two more runs.
Despite the early lead, the Honkers pitching staff let the Rox lineup creep all the way back and tie the ballgame in the bottom of the eighth after Rochester first baseman Chad Walach (Cal State Fullerton) committed an error on a ground ball that should have ended the inning. Instead, St. Cloud plated their second run of the frame and evened the score up 6-6.
Neither team would score in the ninth so the game would advance to extra innings.
After the Honkers went down without scoring a run in the top of the tenth, the Rox put the leadoff runner on in their half on a hit by pitch dealt by Honkers pitcher Tyler Lohr (Doane). Two batters later, St. Cloud first baseman Adam Martin (Western Carolina) hit the walk-off RBI double to win the game. Lohr was given the loss and moved his record to 0-1.
The Honkers (7-11, 22-31) have the next three days off for the 2012 Northwoods League All Star break, but will be back in action on Thursday, July 26th to take on the Waterloo Bucks (8-9, 27-25) in Rochester at 7:05 PM. Outfieler Dakota Smith (Kansas), first baseman Trevor Podratz (Hawaii), and left handed pitcher Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) will represent the Honkers on Tuesday, July 24th as North Division Midseason All Stars in Madison, WI. Podratz will also compete in the Home Run Derby, which precedes the All Star Game.
July 21, 2012
Honkers Lose on Bases Loaded Walk Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers squandered multiple scoring opportunities in a 3-2 loss to the St. Cloud Rox on Saturday night in St. Cloud.
The Honkers felt defeat at the hands of a bases loaded walk to plate the winning run for the Rox in the last half of the ninth inning.
The Rochester offense picked up nine base hits, but could only manage to score two runs.
The Rox scored first with a run in the bottom of the first inning on three straight singles from the top three hitters in their lineup. They added another run in the fifth thanks to two hits, an error, and a wild pitch.
Starter Nick Dolsky (DMACC) worked 6.0 innings and gave up two runs (one unearned) on seven hits and a walk. Dolsky sent down four Rox batters on strikes on his way to earning the no-decision.
The Honkers tied the ballgame in the seventh inning. Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) hit an RBI double and would later come around to score on a Justin Protacio (Kansas) infield single and a throwing error by Rox starting pitcher Billy Soule (Minnesota).
With the score tied in the top of the eighth inning, left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) led off with a double, but was stranded as the next three Honkers would go down in order. Parr went 1 for 4.The Honkers had another opportunity in the ninth after back to back two-out hits from Lukkason and Protacio, but center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) flew out to end the threat.
Reid Roper (Illinois) pitched the seventh and eighth innings with no problems but walked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to hand the victory to the Rox.
Honkers catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton), Protacio, and Lukkason each went 2 for 4 on the night.
The series is now tied 1-1.
The Honkers (7-10, 22-30) and Rox (9-9, 18-34) finish the three-game set in St. Cloud tomorrow, July 22nd at 1:05 PM before three days off for the 2012 Northwoods League All Star break. Righty Kevin Johnson (Illinois) will start tomorrow for the Honkers. Johnson is 0-3 in six total games with a 7.32 ERA. Johnson has been dealt the loss in his last three outings.
On the mound for the Rox will be right-hander Keaton Siomkin (California). Siomkin is 0-2 in nine appearances with an ERA of 7.34. The University of California freshman tossed 4.0 shutout innings against the Honkers on July 13th in a 6-4 St. Cloud victory.
July 21, 2012
Podratz to Compete in Home Run Derby
(Rochester, MN)—Rochester Honkers slugger Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) will be competing in the 2012 Northwoods League Home Run Derby presented by the Dane County Regional Airport on Tuesday, July 24th in Madison, WI.
The Temecula, CA native leads the Honkers in home runs with nine on the season. That total is also good for third among all Northwoods League hitters. Podratz also leads the Honkers offense with 35 RBIs.
His competitors from the North Division are Mankato’s John Michael Twichell (Texas), Waterloo’s Kevin Kaczmarski (Evansville), and Willmar’s Michael Suchy (Florida Gulf Coast). Representing the South Division in the derby are Madison’s very own Tyler Marincov (North Florida), Wisconsin Rapid’s Alex Bacon (North Florida), Eau Claire’s Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State), and La Crosse’s Richard Prigatano (Long Beach State).
The eight total contestants will compete in three rounds. In the first round, each hitter will get eight outs to blast as many long balls as they can. The top four totals will advance to the second round where each contestant will get another eight outs. The players with the most combined homeruns from the first two rounds will then advance to the finals. In the final round, the winner will be the hitter who tallies the most home runs in that last round.
Last season, Mankato’s Shaun Cooper won the NWL Home Run Derby after hitting 33 total home runs over the three rounds.
The derby will begin at 6:00 PM. The 2012 Northwoods League All Star Game, presented by Zimbrick Honda, will take place after at 7:35 PM. Podratz, along with Rochester centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) and left-handed pitcher Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) will represent the Honkers in the All Star Game.
July 20, 2012
Honkers Prevail Over Rox 4-3 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers came from behind to win an exciting 4-3 battle against the St. Cloud Rox in Rochester, MN on Friday.
With the victory, the Honkers take the first game of a three-game set with the Rox.
The Honkers trailed by a score of 2-0 all the way up until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Rochester offense came alive and took the lead from the Rox with a three-run inning to go ahead of St. Cloud 3-2. Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a sharply hit single to plate shortstop Brandon Defazio (San Mateo) and second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas). Parr went 1 for 4 with those two RBIs.Right fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) blasted a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth. The homerun would prove to be the game winner. Lahn finished his night 3 for 4 with the long ball and two runs.
Matt Kent (Texas A&M) tossed a complete game and picked up his third win of the season to improve his record to 3-4. Kent allowed three runs on 12 hits while striking out four Rox batters.
The loss for St. Cloud was handed to lefty Will Flor (Jacksonvile) after giving up the tie-breaking run in the bottom of the big Honkers seventh inning. Flor is now 2-4.Protacio and centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) each went 1 for 3 at the top of the Rochester batting order.
The Honkers and Rox will play game two of the set tomorrow night, July 21st, in St. Cloud at 6:05 PM. Starting for the Honkers will be right-hander Nick Dolsky (DMACC) against fellow righty Billy Soule (Minnesota). Dolsky is 1-1 in three starts with a 2.25 ERA and Soule is 1-3 in ten appearances with 4.40 ERA.
July 19, 2012
Honkers Drop Game Three 14-2 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers lost to the Mankato MoonDogs on Thursday night by a final score of 14-2 in front of 1,523 Rochester fans.
This one was all about the MoonDogs offense as they outhit the Honkers twelve knocks to just five for the home team.
The MoonDogs jumped out with three runs in both the first and second innings, and then added a four-spot in the fourth to take an early 10-1 lead.
Rochester scored the first of their two runs in the bottom half of the first inning on an RBI single from designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawaii). Podratz finished his night 1 for 3 with that RBI.
Honkers starter Jordan Milbrath (Augustana) went just 4.0 innings and allowed ten earned runs to pick up the loss and move his record to 2-3. Millbrath scattered ten hits and walked four in the defeat.
Honkers second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) went 1 for 3 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot.
MoonDogs starter Partick Goelz (Oklahoma City) tossed 5.1 innings and surrendered just one Rochester run to earn his first victory of the summer and even his record at 1-1.
With the win, Mankato avoids the three-game sweep and takes the season series six games to four.
Tomorrow, July 20th, the Honkers (6-9, 21-29) will begin a three-game series with the St. Cloud Rox (8-8, 17-33) with the first game in Rochester, MN before the team travels to St. Cloud for the final two. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM at Mayo Field. Lefty Matt Kent (Texas A&M) is the scheduled starter for Rochester. Kent is 2-4 in seven starts with a 2.61 ERA. Lucas Long (Arizona) will start on the hill for the Rox. Long is 1-1 in three games with a 6.08 ERA.
July 18, 2012
Honkers Come All the Way Back Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—After rain delayed the start time by almost two hours, the Rochester Honkers come all the way from behind to beat the Mankato MoonDogs on Wednesday by a final score of 10-7 in Rochester, MN.
The Honkers trailed by a score of 7-0 before putting a seven spot up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. Designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) hit a long three-run homerun to tie it. The homerun was the ninth of the year for the slugging Podratz, who finished his night 1 for 3 with the homerun and three RBIs.
Rochester broke the 7-7 ties in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI groundout from left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois). Parr finished his night 2 for 5 with two RBIs.
Honkers starter Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) made it through just 2.0 innings and allowed four earned runs on three hits and two walks. O’Neal struck out three batters to pick up the no-decision.
The Honkers would use five pitchers in relief of O’Neal to help solidify the victory.
Reid Roper (Illinois) pitched a scoreless top of the eighth to pick up the win. Roper is now 2-1 on the season.
Outfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) went 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs and also picked up his fourth save of the summer.
The Honkers and MoonDogs will play the series finale tomorrow, July 19th, in Rochester, MN. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM with Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) getting the start for Rochester against Mankato hurler Patrick Goelz (Oklahoma City). In 15 Northwoods League games, Millbrath is 2-2 with a 4.81 ERA. Goelz has pitched in 17 games as the MoonDogs primary closer with 13 saves and a 3.78 ERA
July 17, 2012
Honkers Win Battle in Mankato Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers picked up a tight 3-2 victory over the Mankato MoonDogs on Tuesday night in Mankato, MN. The Honkers have a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.
This game featured one of the more entertaining pitchers duals of the season as both starting pitchers were very tough to hit.
Mankato hurler Adam Mott (New Mexico State) surrendered just one Rochester run over his 7.0 frames of work. Mott scattered seven hits and struck out three batters but earned a no-decision.
The MoonDogs scored first with a single run in the bottom of the second inning on two doubles.
The Honkers tied it up in the fourth inning on a Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) groundout to score Justin Parr (Illinois) from third. Wallach finished his night 1 for 4 with an RBI.
Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) made his first start of the summer for the Honkers and pitched extremely well over 7.0 innings. Nelson gave up just two runs to one of the top-hitting teams in the entire Northwoods League on six hits and eight strikeouts. With the win, Nelson improves his record to 1-2.
The Honkers trailed 2-1 in the top of the eighth when centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) reached on a hit by pitch and scored on a Justin Parr (Illinois) two-run homerun. Justin Parr went 3 for 5 in the ballgame with two RBIs.
Rochester reliever Reid Roper (Illinois) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep the Honkers lead at 3-2.
Dakota Smith picked up his third save of the summer with a scoreless ninth frame.
Honkers first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) added three hits for the victors. Jordan Parr (Illinois) finished 2 for 5 out of the leadoff spot.
Tomorrow, July 18th, the Honkers (5-8, 20-28) and MoonDogs (7-6, 35-13) will play game two of the three-game set in Rochester, MN at 7:05 PM. Righty Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX), who is 1-1 in eight outings with a 5.46 ERA, will start on the mound for the Honkers. O’Neal will oppose Mankato starter Seth Webster (Nicholls State). Webster is 3-0 in eight starts with an ERA of 5.96.
July 16, 2012
Honkers Swept by Beetles Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers dropped their second game in a row to the Alexandria Beetles on Monday afternoon by a final score of 9-5 in Rochester, MN.
The Honkers did not pick up their first base hit until the bottom of the sixth inning when second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) reached on an infield single. The very next batter, center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) belted a two-run homerun to left field to score the only two Honkers runs on the day.
Rochester starter Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) labored through his second consecutive outing of the summer. The tall lefty lasted just 4.1 innings and allowed seven total runs on nine hits and four walks. Miller now falls to 2-2 for the summer.
The Honkers scored three more runs in the bottom of the ninth on a Jordan Parr (Illinois) three-run homer to deep left field. Parr finished the afternoon 1 for 4 with three RBIs.
Alexandria starter Jon Reed (Walter State) was marvelous over his 8.0 innings of work as he surrendered just two runs on two hits while striking out 11 Honkers. Reed is now 4-1 on the season.
Honkers reliever Phil Richmond (Coe) worked an impressive eighth inning striking out the side and not giving up a run.
The Honkers travel to Mankato tomorrow, July 17th, to begin a three-game set with the MoonDogs at 7:05 PM. On the hill for the Honkers will be righty Dylan Nelson (San Mateo). Nelson is 0-2 in 16.1 innings of work with a 3.86 ERA.
The Honkers and MoonDogs will bring the series to Rochester on Wednesday, July 17th and play the second game of the series. The game on Wednesday is scheduled to start at 7:05 PM at Mayo Field.
July 15, 2012
Honkers Can't Hold Lead, Lose 6-4 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers blow a four-run lead in the eighth and lose to the Alexandria Beetles on Sunday in Rochester by a final score of 6-4.
The Honkers had beaten the Beetles in their first five showdowns of the season, but now fall to 5-1 for the season series.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Honkers pushed four runs across the plate highlighted by a bases-loaded double from center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) to drive in two. Smith finished the game 1 for 4 with those two RBIs.
Honkers starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) tossed his most effective 6.0 innings of the summer, but the seventh was a completely different story. Johnson surrendered a total of five earned runs and only recorded one out in the frame as the Beetles put a six-spot on the scoreboard to take a 6-4 lead.
After back-to-back hits with one out in the bottom of the eighth from third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) and catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton), the next two Honkers went down in order to end the threat.
With the loss, Kevin Johnson is now 0-3 in 2012.
Jordan Parr went 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Honkers and first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
The Honkers (4-7, 19-27) and Beetles (6-5, 19-27) will complete the two-game set tomorrow, July 16th with the first pitch set for 1:05 PM from Rochester, MN. Lefty Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who is 2-1 in four starts with a 2.37 ERA, will oppose Alexandria right-hander Jon Reed (Walters State). Reed is 3-1 with an ERA of 3.61 in ten total appearances.
Miller pitched 6.0 innings of one-run baseball against the Beetles on June 25th to pick up his first victory of the season. Miller allowed just one hit and struck out nine batters as the Honkers won 11-1.
July 14, 2012
Honkers Dig Out Win Against Rox Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers even the series with the St. Cloud Rox on Saturday night with an exciting seven inning 3-2 win in front of 1,959 screaming Mayo Field fans.
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning, right fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) came up and belted an opposite field two-run homer to make it a 3-2 Honkers lead. Lahn finished the night 1 for 3.
Despite a rough start, starting pitcher Nick Dolsky (DMACC) was magnificent through 6.0 innings of work. Dolsky allowed two earned runs on seven hits and struck out seven Rox hitters.
The tall Honkers righty worked his way out of a sixth inning bases loaded jam with just one out to maintain the one-run Rochester lead. With the victory, Dolsky is now 1-1 in three appearances.
Honkers Reliever Elliot Engle (Doane) picked up his first save of the season with a scoreless seventh inning.
Honkers first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 1 for 2 with a run scored on the Lahn homerun. Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois), designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawaii), third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo), and center fielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) each went 1 for 3 in the Honkers win.
Tomorrow, July 15th, the Honkers (4-6, 19-26) welcome the Alexandria Beetles (4-5, 17-27) to Rochester, MN with the first game of a two-game that starts at 1:05 PM. Righty Kevin Johnson (Illinois) starts on the mound for the Honkers against Alexandria lefty Brandon Johnson (Florida State). Kevin Johnson is 0-2 with a 7.62 ERA in five starts and Brandon Johnson is 0-0 in two outings and an ERA of 3.86.
Kevin Johnson tossed 1.0 inning of scoreless baseball in Alexandria on June 20th in a 6-3 Rochester victory.
July 14, 2012
Honkers Drop Series Opener 6-4 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers dropped the first game of a two-game set with the St. Cloud Rox on Saturday, July 14th in Rochester, MN. The game was resumed after being suspended yesterday due to heavy rain.
The Honkers had a 2-0 lead when rain postponed their series opener with the Rox on Friday night in the fifth inning.
Lefty Matt Kent (Texas A&M) came back out today attempting to finish what he started last night but gave up the lead after surrendering four runs in his 8.0 total innings of work. Kent is now 2-4 on the summer.
The Honkers offense collected just four hits in the game. Leftfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) went 1 for 4 with a double and a run. Second baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) finished 1 for 4 with an RBI.
The Honkers and Rox will now play the regularly scheduled finale of the two-game series this evening, July 14th, at 7:15 PM. Nick Dolsky (DMACC) gets the start for Rochester against St. Cloud starter Lucas Long (Arizona). Dolsky is 0-1 with 1.50 ERA in 6.0 total innings over two appearances. Long is 1-0 in two starts with a 6.48 ERA.
A Fireworks Extravaganza will follow the completion of the second game.
July 14, 2012
Honkers to Resume Saturday at 5:05 PM
(Rochester, MN)–Game one of a two-game set between the Rochester Honkers and St. Cloud Rox will resume play today, July 14th at 5:05 PM. The game will pick up where it left off before rain forced postponement in the top of the fifth inning and the Honkers on top 2-0. The Rox have a man on second base with nobody out. 30 minutes after game one is completed, the two teams will then play their regularly scheduled game. That game will be just a seven inning contest.
Through 4.0 plus innings, Rochester starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) has allowed just three hits and zero St. Cloud runs. The Honkers offense scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a Trevor Podratz (Hawai'i) RBI groundout and a wild pitch from Rox starter Keaton Siomkin (California). Honkers leftfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) has the lone Rochester base hit with a double in the first inning.
The Fireworks Extravaganza that was scheduled for Friday night is also postponed until Saturday, July 14th and will take place after the second game.
July 13, 2012
Three Honkers Named All Stars
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers have three players representing the team at the 2012 Northwoods League All Star Game in Madison, WI. Outfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas), first baseman Trevor Podratz, (Hawai’i) and left-handed pitcher Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) were voted in by coaches and members of the media this week.
Smith, an outfielder from Leavenworth, KS, is hitting .336 with four homeruns and 24 RBIs in 36 games this season. In his last eight games, Smith is batting at a .353 clip with a homerun and ten runs scored. Smith is the Honkers leader with 16 stolen bases, two triples, 48 hits, and 71 total bases.
Podratz, the big power-hitting first baseman, is hitting .285 with eight homeruns and 30 RBIs in 36 Northwoods League games. Podratz is the Honkers leader in homers, RBIs, and hit-by-pitches with ten. In the last ten games, the Temecula, CA native has two bombs and 11 runs driven in.
Miller, an Avon, IN native, has a 2-1 record in four starts with a 2.37 ERA. The tall lefty had his best outing on July 2nd in Thunder Bay, Ontario when he tossed 7.0 innings of one-run baseball against the Border Cats. Miller walked just two and struck out eight batters to earn his second victory of the summer as the Honkers won 3-2.
When asked what his thoughts were about being selected for the team, Dakota Smith responded, “I’m excited. I wasn’t really expecting it so it’s pretty cool. I’ve never been chosen for an All Star Team before so it’s a pretty big deal for me.”
The 2012 Northwoods League All Star Game will be played on July 24th following the Dane County Regional Home Run Derby at the “Duck Pond.” The Home Run Derby begins at 6:00 PM and the All-Star game will start at 7:35PM.
July 12, 2012
Honkers Drop Series Finale 6-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers dropped the 11-inning finale of a three-game set to the Mankato MoonDogs on Thursday night in heartbreaking fashion from Mankato, MN 6-5. The MoonDogs win the series 2-1.
The Honkers had a 5-4 lead going to the bottom of the ninth but could not hold on with Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) on the hill.
Millbrath walked the leadoff man Cody Ferrell (Oklahoma City), who would later attempt to steal second base and then come all the way around to score after an errant throw from Honkers catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) and a bobble in center field by Jordan Parr (Illinois). The game would move to extra innings with the score tied 5-5.
The Honkers offense would go down in order in the tenth and eleventh innings before the MoonDogs would score the winning run on a Chris Munoz (Oklahoma City) RBI single and send the Honkers packing.
With the loss, Millbrath is now 2-2 on the season.
Honkers starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) lasted 4.1 innings and surrendered three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. Snelten also struck out four batters to earn the no-decision.
Right-hander Chris Noble (Pikeville) worked 2.2 innings of one-run baseball in relief of Snelten.
Jordan Parr went 2 for 6 with his fifth homerun of the season and Second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) finished his night 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs to improve his hitting streak to six games.
The Honkers (3-5, 18-25) will be back in Rochester tomorrow, July 13th, to take on the St. Cloud Rox (4-5, 13-30) in game-one of a quick two-game set beginning at 7:05 PM. Lefty Matt Kent (Texas A&M) will get the start for the Honkers in the series opener. Kent is 2-3 with a 2.47 ERA in six starts. Pitching for the Rox will be righty Keaton Siomkin (California). Siomkin has struggled this summer with an 0-2 record in seven outings and a high ERA of 8.28.
Stay after the game for a Fireworks Extravaganza.
July 11, 2012
Honkers Blast MoonDogs 14-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers came out swinging the lumber on Wednesday night with a 14-5 victory over the Mankato MoonDogs in front of 903 Mayo Field fans. The series is now tied 1-1.
The Honkers put on an offensive showcase with twelve hits, three of which left the park.
With a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, right fielder Jared Allen (Tennessee) belted a solo homerun to left field. Allen would add another solo shot in the bottom of the fourth. Three of Allen’s four homeruns have come in the first two games of this MoonDogs series.
The Honkers added four runs in the sixth, highlighted by a bases-clearing double from left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois). Parr went 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs.
Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) worked 6.0 innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits and three walks. O’Neal also struck out four batters to earn his first victory of the 2012 Northwoods League season. His record is now 1-1.
Honkers first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) had a great night at the plate finishing 4 for 5 with four runs scored. Dakota Smith (Kansas) added a two-run homerun of his own in the seventh inning. Smith was 1 for 2 on the night with three runs scored.
Reid Roper (Illinois) pitched the final 3.0 innings to pick up his first save of the season.
The Honkers (3-4, 18-24) and MoonDogs (5-2, 33-9) will go back to Mankato tomorrow, July 12th, for the finale of the three-game series. Lefty DJ Snelten (Minnesota) will get the start for Rochester against Mankato right hander Seth Webster (Nicholls State). Snelten carries an 0-2 record in six starts, but has a respectable 3.42 ERA. Webster is 3-0 in seven starts with a high 6.00 ERA.
The Honkers are back home on Friday, July 13th to start a two-game series with the St. Cloud Rox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. Stay after the game for a Fireworks Extravaganza.
July 10, 2012
Honkers Comeback Falls Short Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers could not overcome a damaging MoonDogs first inning as they fell by a final of 6-5 on Tuesday night in Mankato, MN.
The MoonDogs picked up right where the Willmar Stingers left off plating five runs in the first frame off of Honkers starter Chris Noble (Pikeville). With the help of two hits, two walks, and one Honkers error, The MoonDogs knocked Noble out of the game after just 1.0 inning of work.
The Honkers scored a run in the top of the second on a Mankato error to plate designated hitter Jordan Parr (Illinois) after he previously advanced to third base with his sixth stolen base of the season.
Trailing by a score of 6-2 in the top of the sixth, the Honkers began chipping away at the MoonDogs lead. Centerfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) led off with a single and scored on a double by his twin brother Jordan, who would later score on a Jared Allen (Tennessee) sacrifice fly. Second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) singled home third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo) and all of a sudden the Honkers trailed by just a single run at 6-5.
Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) came on in relief of Noble and was excellent in his 6.0 innings of work to keep his team in the ballgame. Nelson allowed just one earned run on three hits and two walks, while striking out five batters.
The Honkers put the leadoff runner on in the ninth when shortstop Mike Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) was hit by a pitch to start a possible rally, but the next three batters would go down in order as Mankato took game one of the three-game set.
Justin Parr, Brandon Defazio, and catcher Matt Halloran (Minnesota) collected two hits apiece in the defeat. Jared Allen (Tennessee) also added his second homerun of the year.
Noble is now 2-4 on the season.
Rochester has now lost four of their first six games to begin the second half of the Northwoods League season.
The Honkers (2-4, 17-24) and MoonDogs (5-1, 33-8) bring the series back to Rochester, MN tomorrow, July 11th at 7:05 PM for game two. Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) will start on the mound for the Honkers. O’Neal is 0-1 in seven appearances with a 5.32 ERA. Starting for Mankato will be Davis Henderson (Oklahoma State). Henderson is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five games.
July 9, 2012
Honkers Pounded by Stingers Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers took a 21-11 beating at the hands of the Willmar Stingers on Monday night in Rochester, MN to lose the three-game set 2-1.
For the Stingers, 21 runs in a single game is a new franchise record.
Both teams collected 17 hits apiece in the slugfest.
The Honkers used six pitchers in the loss and committed three errors in the field.
The Stingers started the offensive showcase right away scoring three runs in the first inning and six in the second to take an early 9-1 lead.
Honkers starter Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) lasted just 2.0 innings and gave up nine runs, however all six Willmar runs in the second inning were unearned. Miller surrendered five hits and four free passes to move his record to 2-1.
The killer inning for the home team was the top of the sixth when Willmar sent fifteen men to the plate and scored ten runs to increase their lead to 19-2.
The Honkers had a six-run inning of their own in the bottom of the frame capped by a two-run homer from catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton).
The damage was done already as the deficit was too large to come back from.
Willmar starter Kyle Fischer (St. Cloud State) picked up the victory to improve his record to 3-0. Fischer allowed seven runs in 5.1 innings of work.
Honkers right fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) went a perfect 3 for 3 with two runs scored and Wallach added a couple of hits including his fourth homerun of the summer.
Third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) also added his fourth long ball in the defeat.
Tomorrow the Honkers (2-3, 17-23) travel to Mankato, MN to open a three game series with the MoonDogs (4-1, 31-8) at 1:05 PM. The series will come back to Rochester for game two on Wednesday night at 7:05 PM before finalizing back in Mankato on Thursday.
Starting tomorrow for the Honkers is right-hander Chris Noble (Pikeville). Noble is 2-3 this summer with an 8.31 ERA in six starts. On the hill for the MoonDogs is righty Adam Mott (New Mexico State). Mott Is 3-1 with a 3.56 ERA in five starts.
July 8, 2012
Honkers Stung by Willmar 16-9 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers suffered through a grueling 16-9 loss on Sunday afternoon to the Willmar Stingers in front of 1,015 Mayo Field fans in Rochester, MN.
The Stingers offense poured it on early in this one, busting out with two runs in the first, two in the second, and three in the third.
The Stingers lineup combined for three long balls and 20 total hits, including four players with three knocks apiece, and one with four.
Willmar shortstop Hunter Dozier (Stephen F. Austin) connected for two of the homeruns and drove in three runs for the victors.
Rochester starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) labored through his 4.2 innings of work, giving up eight earned runs on ten Willmar hits and five walks. With the loss, Johnson now moves to 0-2 for the summer.
After falling behind 10-3, the Honkers would slowly creep closer, but the Stingers’ bats would not back down and continued to push runs across the plate with two in the seventh and three in the eighth.
The Honkers had a four-run sixth inning and batted through the lineup thanks to two Willmar errors and four Rochester hits, and a two-run homerun off the bat of outfielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) in the bottom of the eighth made it 15-9 in favor of the visiting Stingers, but it was too little too late.
Lahn finished his day 2 for 5 at the plate with two RBIs.
Second baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) had a productive day with the lumber in the Rochester loss going 3 for 4 with a solo homerun, a double, and three RBIs. Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) collected a single and a double before leaving the game in the seventh inning after fouling a ball hard off his foot.
The series is now tied at 1-1.
The finale of the three-game set between the Honkers (2-2, 17-22) and Stingers (2-2, 22-17) is tomorrow, July 9th, at 7:05 PM in Rochester, MN. Lefty Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) will take the mound for the Honkers against Willmar righty Kyle Fischer (St. Cloud State). Miller is 2-0 this summer with a miniscule 1.06 ERA in three starts. Fischer is also 2-0, but in six appearances and with a 5.16 ERA.
July 7, 2012
Honkers Swat Stinger 7-4 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers were victorious in their return home on Saturday night by defeating the Willmar Stingers 7-4 in Rochester, MN.
With the win the Honkers move to 2-1 in the second half of the Northwoods League season.
The Honkers bats continue to stay hot as they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning after a leadoff single from Dakota Smith (Kansas), who would later score on a Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) RBI groundout.
Rightfielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) added to the 1-0 Honkers lead in the bottom of the second with his third homerun of the season. Parr finished his night 2 for 4 with the homerun, a double, and two runs.
After picking up a loss in his last start, Nick Dolksy (DMACC) tossed 4.0 quality innings on Saturday night and did not allow a run while striking out six Stingers. However, Dolsky fell one inning short of qualifying for the victory despite a strong performance.
With a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning, Trevor Podratz launched a deep homerun to right center field to make it 6-1. The homerun was Podratz’s team-leading eighth of the season.
Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) came on in relief of Dolsky in the fifth inning and finished the game to earn the win and improve his record to 2-1. Millbrath allowed four earned runs in his 4.1 frames of work on six hits and three strikeouts.
Rochester shortstop Michael Lukkason had a great night at the plate, finishing 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Centerfielder Dakota Smith chipped in with a couple of hits and a run.
The Honkers (2-1, 17-21) and Stingers (1-2, 21-17) will play game two of a three-game set tomorrow, July 8th, in Rochester, MN at 1:05 PM. Right hander Kevin Johnson (Illinois) is set to start for Rochester and will face fellow righty Anthony Consiglio (Western Nevada). In four starts, Johnson is 0-1 with a 6.09 ERA. Consiglio is 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA in five starts.
July 6, 2012
Honkers Drop Series Finale Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers dropped the finale of a two-game series to the Duluth Huskies on Friday night, July 6th in Duluth, MN by a final score of 2-1.
Four hits were all the Honkers offense could produce in the defeat.
Duluth starter Joey Novak (Harvard) was dominant through 7.0 frames scattering just two Honker hits and not allowing a single run. Novak struck out six and retired the last eleven batters he faced to improve his record to 6-0.
Honkers starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) turned in another stellar pitching performance as well, but was handed the loss for his efforts. The lefty allowed just two earned runs over 7.0 innings on eleven hits and two walks, while striking out five. Kent is now 2-3 on the season.
Rochester finally got on the board in the top of the eighth on a leadoff double from first baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) and two groundouts to bring him in.
The Honkers had a chance in the top of the ninth inning with two runners on and just one out, but third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo) struck out looking and second baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.
Honkers catcher Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 2 for 4 with a double. The lone RBI was from shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) on a groundout in the eighth to plate Jordan Parr.
Reliever Elliott Engle (Doane) worked a scoreless eighth inning for Rochester.
After a long ten-game road trip, the Honkers (1-1, 16-21) are back home tomorrow, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers (1-1, 21-16). Nick Dolsky is set to start for the Honkers against Willmar starter Jerad McCrummen (Texas Tech). Dolsky has made just one start in 2012 for Rochester and is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. McCrummen is a perfect 3-0 with an ERA of 2.15.
The Honkers have seen McCrummen once this year. On June 23rd, McCrummen pitch 4.2 innings and allowed just one earned run, but was given a no-decision as the Honkers beat the Stingers 9-8 in Willmar.
July 5, 2012
Honkers Beat Huskies 6-4 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers beat the Duluth Huskies by a final score of 6-4 on Thursday, July 5th in Duluth, MN to start the second half of the Northwoods League season with a record of 1-0.
The Honkers struck first with three runs in the top of the first inning on four hits and an error by the Huskies defense.
The Huskies responded with two runs in the bottom of the second thanks to two walks, a hit, and an error to make it 4-2 in favor of the Honkers.
With the bases loaded in the top of the third inning and Rochester at the plate, Duluth starter Evan Geist (Florida State) walked in a run before third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) singled to score two more and increase the Honkers lead to 6-2.
Rochester starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) tossed 4.1 innings and gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits and four strikeouts. Snelten picked up the no-decision.
Duluth scored a run in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to bring the Huskies to within two runs at 6-4, but Honkers reliever Ty McDevitt (Minnesota) would close the door on the Huskies over the final innings to earn the victory and move his record to 2-0 on the summer.
McDevitt tossed 4.2 innings and gave up only one unearned run on three hits and one walk, while also striking out seven.
Honkers centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) and leftfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) both the finished the game 2 for 5 with a run scored. First baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
The Honkers (1-0, 16-20) and Huskies (0-1, 19-17) will play the finale of the two-game set tomorrow, July 5th, at 7:05 PM in Duluth, MN. Starting for the Honkers is lefty Matt Kent (Texas A&M). Kent is 2-2 with a 2.46 ERA in five starts.
The Honkers will be home again on Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
July 4, 2012
Honkers Fall to Border Cats 4-3 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers lost the series finale to the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Wednesday, July 4th, in Thunder Bay, Ontario by a final score of 4-3 after seven and a half complete innings. Mother Nature would not allow the Honkers to bat in the ninth and mount a possible comeback to end the first half of the Northwoods League season with a victory.
The game would end up lasting four hours due to a rain delay early on and another short lightning delay in the eighth before the umpires would make their final decision to call the game.
Honkers starter Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) gave up a couple of earned runs in the bottom of the first inning and had control issues with five walks, but was solid for the most part over his 5.0 innings of work. O’Neal would not allow another run over the next 4.0 innings, but was handed the no-decision. The San Antonio native struck out six Border Cats.
Honkers third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) tied it in the top of the second with a two-run homerun. The long ball was Parr’s second of the season.
After about a forty-five minute rain delay after the third inning, the score would remain 2-2 until the bottom of the sixth when the Border Cats scored two runs off of Rochester reliever Dylan Delson (San Mateo) to take the lead 4-2. Nelson would eventually be handed the loss to move his record to 0-2 in 2012.
The Honkers had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the eighth and scored one on a wild pitch before Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) lined out to the shortstop to end the threat and the inning.
The game would make it to the bottom of the eighth with Thunder Bay on top 4-3 and runners on first and third with one out, but lightning in the area would bring about the second delay of the evening, and eventually end the game indefinitely.
Honkers designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) finished his night 2 for 4 and Jordan Parr finished 1 for 1 with a homerun and two RBIs.
The Honkers end the first half of the Northwoods League season with a record of 15-20.
The Honkers will travel to Duluth, MN tomorrow, July 5th to play game one of a quick two-game series against the Huskies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM with lefty DJ Snelten (Minnesota) on the hill for Rochester. Snelten is 0-2 with a 3.68 ERA in five starts. Opposing Snelten for the Huskies will be fellow lefthander Evan Geist (Florida State). Geist is 3-2 with a 2.92 ERA in five starts.
The Honkers will be home again on Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
July 4, 2012
Honkers and Border Cats Under Rain Delay
(Rochester, MN)-Game five of a five-game series between the Honkers and Border Cats from Thunder Bay, Ontario is under rain delay in the bottom of the third inning.
The score is all knotted-up at two runs apiece. Honkers starter Carl O'Neal (St. Mary's TX) surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Honkers third baseman Jordan Parr (Illinois) tied it with a two-run homerun in the top of the second. Stay tuned for updates.
July 3, 2012
Honkers Win Slugfest 12-11 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers were victorious tonight, July 3rd, over the Thunder Bay Border Cats by a final score of 12-11 in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Both teams came out swinging early in this one. The Honkers offense jumped out with five runs in the top of the first only to surrender seven runs to the Border Cats in the bottom half of the inning.
The Border Cats put two more on the board in the bottom of the second inning to go ahead 9-5, but the Honkers’ bats would not back down.
The Honkers scored four more in the top of the third sparked by a solo shot from first baseman Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton). Wallach finished the game 3 for 5 with two RBIs. The Honkers lineup would score three more in the frame to tie it 9-9.
Rochester starter Chris Noble (Pikeville) just did not have his best stuff tonight as he only lasted 0.1 innings and gave up seven runs on six hits to earn the no-decision.
Rochester reliever Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) would pick up the slack, however, and pitch the final 6.0 innings to earn his first win of the season and even his record at 1-1.
Trailing 10-9 in the top of the eighth, Honkers designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) belted his team-leading seventh homerun of the season with a runner on base to go ahead 12-11, which is where the score would stay. The Honkers tied the series at 2-2 with one more to play.
The Honkers offense banged out nineteen hits in the victory.
Rochester leftfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) went 4 for 5 with two runs and three RBIs and centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) finished his night 3 for 6.
Game five of the five-game series from Thunder Bay, Ontario is set for tomorrow, Wednesday, July 4th at 6:05 PM. Starting for the Honkers (15-19) is right hander Carl O'Neal (St. Mary’s TX), and he will oppose Thunder Bay (15-19) starter Matt Cooper (Bellevue). O’Neal is 0-1 in six appearances with a 5.82 ERA. Cooper holds an 0-0 record in four appearances with a 4.50 ERA.
The Honkers will be home again on Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
July 2, 2012
Honkers Win Nail-Biter 3-2 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers ended their four-game losing streak with a narrow 3-2 win over the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay, Canada on Monday, July 2nd.
The 5-game series now sits at 2-1 in favor of the Border Cats with two more to play.
The Honkers jumped out early with two runs in the top of the first inning. RBI singles from designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) and catcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) made it 2-0 before Thunder Bay even batted.
The Honkers scored another run in the top half of the third thanks to an RBI single off the bat of third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo).
Rochester starter Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) was impressive over 7.0 innings of work allowing a single run on five hits. The tall lefty escaped trouble in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Border Cats loaded the bases, but was able to force a ground out to end the threat. Miller struck out eight batters and walked just one to improve his record to 2-0.
Rochester reliever Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) avoided more trouble in the bottom of the eighth when Thunder Bay put runners on first and third with nobody out. A double play and a groundout kept the Honkers lead at 3-1.
Nelson picked up his first save of the season despite a leadoff solo homerun from Border Cats backstop Danny Bethea (St. Johns) to start the ninth. Nelson would then strike out the next two batters before giving up two infield singles to make it very interesting with two on and two out.
However, Nelson would slam the door, forcing a soft lineout to second base to stop the damage and give the Honkers the victory.
Thunder Bay starter Garrett Hughes (Stanford) picked up the loss to move his record to 0-1. Hughes lasted 5.2 innings and surrendered three runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits and two walks.
Honkers second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) finished 2 for 3 and Chad Wallach went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The Honkers (14-19) will try to even the series tomorrow night in Thunder Bay (15-18) with game four of the five-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM. Starting for the Honkers is righty Chris Noble (Pikeville). Noble is 2-3 in five starts with a 6.31 ERA. On the hill for the Border Cats is Kacy Kemmer (Austin Peay State). The right hander Kemmer is 1-2 in four starts with an ERA of 2.28.
The Honkers will not be home again until Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
July 1, 2012
Former Honker Makes National Team
(Rochester, MN)–University of Oregon and former Rochester Honker catcher Brett Hambright received a very respectable honor last week when he was named to the USA Collegiate National Baseball Team.
Hambright, who was a redshirt senior at Oregon in 2012, played in the first six games for the USA team. In eleven at bats, Hambright had three hits, three runs scored, and an RBI.
In the second game of the Prospect Classic on Saturday, June 30th, Hambright went 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI as the USA Baseball Stars defeated the USA Baseball Stripes by a final score of 15-3.
In his final season as an Oregon Duck, Hambright played in 59 games and hit .217 with a homerun and 15 RBIs and helped lead the Ducks to a 46-19 record.
Brett was named to the Eugene All-Regional Team after Oregon won their first regional since 1954. Hambright hit a two-run homerun in the championship game to help send the Ducks to their first Super Regional in over a half a century.
The two-time MLB draft pick (34th round by Phillies in 2007 and 38th round by Rockies in 2009) played in 34 games with the Rochester Honkers in 2011. Hambright batted .248 with two homeruns and 14 RBIs. On July 12th, 2011 against the St. Cloud River Bats, the Corona, CA native went 2 for 2 with a homerun, three runs scored, and four RBIs in a 10-9 Honkers victory.
The USA Collegiate National Team will complete the Prospect Classic on July 3rd in Durham, NC and then travel to Havana, Cuba for a five-game series against the Cuban National Team. The team will also play in Haarlem, The Netherlands against ball clubs from China, Japan, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Netherlands from July 14th-22nd.
July 1, 2012
Honkers Lose Fourth Straight Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers lost game two of a five-game set to the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay, Canada on Sunday, July 1st by a final tally of 7-4.
With the loss on Canada Day, Rochester has now dropped four straight games after winning the first game of the ten-game road trip in St. Cloud on Wednesday, June 27th.
The Border Cats took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a solo homerun from first baseman Patrick Gallagher (UCLA).
The Honkers tied it up in the top half of the fourth with an RBI single off the bat of Rochester first baseman Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) to score centerfielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) after his lead-off triple.
The two teams would go back and forth with one run in each half inning over the next couple of frames. The Honkers knotted it up in the sixth 3-3 after an RBI single from shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan).
However the big blow came in the bottom of the inning when Thunder Bay designated hitter Scott Donley (Indiana) doubled with the bases loaded off of reliever Elliot Engle (Doane) to plate three and go ahead of the Honkers 6-3. Two of the three runs scored on the hit were given to Rochester starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois).
Each team scored one more run apiece and the game ended 7-4 in favor of the home team Border Cats.
The Honkers left a staggering 13 runners on base in the game.
Kevin Johnson (Illinois) tossed 5.2 innings and gave up five earned runs on eight hits and four free passes. Johnson was handed the loss and moves to 0-1 on the season.
Leftfielder Justin Parr (Illinois) picked up three hits in the defeat and also pitched a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts. Dakota Smith (Kansas) and Cole Lankford each had two hits and an RBI.
Game three between the Honkers (13-19) and Border Cats (15-17) will begin tomorrow evening, July 2nd, at 6:05 PM in Thunder Bay. Starting on the hill for Rochester will be right hander Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) who is 1-0 in two starts with a 0.90 ERA. Starting for Thunder Bay will be the tall lefty Garrett Hughes (Stanford). Hughes has made just one start in 2012 and has a no-decision with a 1.80 ERA.
The Honkers will not be home again until Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
June 30, 2012
Honkers Lose 4-2 in Thunder Bay Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers lost their third in a row, and first of a five-game series, to the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Saturday, June 30th by a final score of 4-2.
Rochester starter Nick Dolsky (DMACC) lasted just 2.0 innings in his 2012 Honkers debut and surrendered two runs (one unearned) on one hit. Both runs scored on Dolsky came in the bottom of the first inning and were the result of two walks, a hit-by-pitch, a pass ball, a hit and an error. Dolsky starts his season off to 0-1 start.
Honkers reliever Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) came on in relief and lasted the next 5.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits.
Honkers catcher Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) launched his first homerun of the season in the top of the third inning to put his team on the board and pull to within a run of the Border Cats. Lankford finished the night 2 for 4.
Thunder Bay would however answer with a run in the bottom half of the inning and another in the fifth to go ahead by a score of 4-1.
The Honkers loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning and a two-out walk to second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) forced in a run to make it 4-2, but centerfielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) struck out to end the inning and leave three runners on base.
The score would remain the same for the remainder of the game giving the Honkers a loss in game-one.
Justin Parr (Illinois), Brandon Defazio (San Mateo), Lankford, Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan), and Jared Allen (Tennessee) all went 2 for 4 in the defeat.
The Honkers and Border Cats will meet again for game two of the five-game set tomorrow, July 1st. The first pitch from Thunder Bay is scheduled for 12:35 PM. Right hander Kevin Johnson (Illinois) will start for the Honkers and square off against Border Cats lefty Blake Fonfara (Lipscomb).
Johnson is 0-0 in four appearances with a 5.50 ERA and Fonfara is 3-1 in six appearances and a 3.25 ERA.
The Honkers will not be home again until Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
June 29, 2012
Honkers Lose St. Cloud Series Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers lost their second straight game on Friday night to the St. Cloud Rox by a final score of 3-1 in St. Cloud. The Rox take two out of three from the Honkers with the win.
The series defeat is the first for Rochester since getting swept by the Mankato MoonDogs in two games on June 17th and 18th.
Honkers starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) pitched well through 8.0 innings allowing three earned runs but a lack of offense from the Rochester lineup made him a victim of defeat. Kent allowed eight hits and struck out two St. Cloud hitters. Two of St. Cloud’s eight hits were solo homeruns.
With the loss, the lefty Kent is now 2-2 in five starts.
Rox starter Tadd Johansen (Wayne State) surrendered just one earned run on five Honker hits in his 7.0 frames of work. Johansen moves to 2-1 on the season.
Adam Maxon (Jacksonville) earned his third save of the summer for St. Cloud with a quick 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Rochester second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas) and centerfielder Jordan Parr (Illinois) each went 2 for 4 in the loss.
The Honkers (13-17) travel way north tomorrow to take on the Border Cats (12-17) in Thunder Bay, Canada for the first of a five-game series. Pitching for the first time in 2012 for the Honkers is 2011 Northwoods League Mid-season All-Star Nick Dolsky (DMACC). On the bump for Thunder Bay will be Wes Parsons (Jackson State CC). Parsons is 4-1 in five starts this season.
The Honkers are not back at home until Saturday, July 7th when they take on the Willmar Stingers at 7:05 PM.
June 28, 2012
Honkers Lose in Ninth 6-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers lost in the bottom of the ninth inning in St. Cloud on Thursday night by a final score of 6-5. The winning run was surrendered after a double and two wild pitches.
The Honkers continued their early inning success with two runs in the top of the first off a double by third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo). Rochester scored another run in the second inning on a solo homerun from leftfielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC). The long ball was Lahn’s fourth of the year.
The Rox would answer right back with five runs in the bottom of the second inning to make it 5-3.
Honkers starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) got roughed up in this one. The tall lefty lasted just 4.1 innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks. All the runs scored on Snelten came in that big St. Cloud second inning.
Elliot Engle (Doane) came on in the fifth inning in relief of Snelten and remained in the game through the sixth without allowing a run.
Trailing 5-3 still in the top of the seventh inning, first baseman Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) hit a solo homerun to make it just a one-run game. Wallach finished the night 3 for 5. The Honkers tied it in the top of the eighth inning on a Jared Allen (Tennessee) double to plate Jordan Parr (Illinois).
The Honkers bullpen would not be able to send it to extra innings.
With the game all knotted up in the bottom of the ninth and one out, St. Cloud second baseman Chris Paul (California) doubled and later came around to score on two wild pitches from Honkers pitcher Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) to win the game. Nelson is now 0-1.
The Rochester defeat is just the second loss in their last nine games.
Defazio went 3 for 5 with two RBIs in the game while Jordan Parr and designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) picked up two hits apiece.
The Honkers (13-16) and Rox (7-20) will play the final game of the three-game series tomorrow night in St. Cloud at 7:05 PM. Starting for the Honkers is lefthander Matt Kent (Texas A&M). Kent is 2-1 in four starts with a 2.20 ERA. He will oppose St. Cloud lefty starter Tadd Johanson (Wayne State) who is 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA.
The Honkers are not back at home until Saturday, July 7th when they take on the Willmar Stingers at 7:05 PM.
June 27, 2012
Honkers Smash Rox 9-2 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers continue their hot streak on Wednesday night with a 9-2 road win over the St. Cloud Rox.
The Honkers have now won four in a row and seven of their last eight to move up a spot in the North Division standings. The team now sits in fifth place and eight games back of the division leading Mankato MoonDogs.
Every player in the Honkers starting lineup picked up a hit in the victory. Left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) finished 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs.
Rochester starter Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) surrendered just two runs, both unearned, over 5.2 innings of work. O’Neal cruised through the first five frames without allowing a run but ran into trouble in the sixth. Two hits and two errors in the inning aided St. Cloud in tying the game 2-2.
The Honkers answered with five runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth to make it 9-2, which is where the score would stay.
Ty McDevitt (Minnesota) came into the game to relieve O’Neal with two outs in the sixth and lasted the final 3.1 innings to pick up his first win in a Honkers uniform. McDevitt scattered just three hits and struck out two. O’Neal was given a no-decision.
The Honkers (13-15) and Rox (6-20) will continue their series tomorrow, June 28th, in game two of the three-game set. First pitch is at 7:05 PM in St. Cloud. Starting for the Honkers is lefthander DJ Snelten (Minnesota) who is 0-2 in four starts with a 2.04 ERA. On the hill for the Rox will be Zach Hirsch (Nebraska). Hirsch is 1-1 this summer with a 3.86 ERA.
The Honkers will not be home again until Saturday, July 7th at 7:05 PM when they battle the Willmar Stingers.
June 26, 2012
Honkers Exterminate Beetles 10-5 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers completed the two-game sweep of the Alexandria Beetles on Tuesday afternoon by a final score of 10-5 in front of 1373 Mayo Field fans. The Honkers have now won six of their last seven ballgames and five straight against the Beetles.
Rochester starter Chris Noble (Pikeville) labored through his 6.0 innings of work allowing three earned runs on three Alexandria solo shots, but still picked up the victory. With the win, Noble’s record improves to 2-3 in five starts.
Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) hit a homerun to lead off the bottom of the second inning and tie the game at 1-1. Podratz finished the day 1 for 2 and is now tied for the league lead with six long balls. The Honkers would score two more in the frame to take an early 3-1 lead.
First baseman Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) had a big day going 4 for 5 at the plate with two runs and five RBIs. Catcher Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) chipped in with two hits including a big two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the Rochester lead 7-3.
The Honkers added three more runs in the eighth to make it 10-3 and put the game out of reach for Alexandria.
Rochester reliever Nick Williams (Tennessee) pitched 2.0 scoreless innings and recorded two strikeouts.
Dylan Nelson (San Mateo) tossed the ninth inning for Rochester and allowed two earned runs with one strikeout.
The Honkers take off for a ten-game road trip starting tomorrow, June 27th in St. Cloud. The Honkers and Rox, who have not yet played each other in 2012, will begin a three-game series at 7:05 PM. Starting on the hill for Rochester is right hander Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) who is 0-1 in five appearances.
In O’Neal’s last outing on June 17th, the San Antonio native tossed 5.0 innings and surrendered two earned runs on seven hits to pick up the loss in a 3-0 defeat against the Mankato MoonDogs.
The Honkers will not be back home until Saturday July, 7th when they battle the Willmar Stingers. First pitch that day is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
June 25, 2012
Honkers Rout Beetles 11-1 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers continue their winning ways on Monday, June 25th with an 11-1 rout of the Alexandria Beetles to take the first game of a two-game set and win the first four games of the season series.
Honkers pitching surrendered just two Beetles hits and struck out a total of fourteen batters.
Alexandria pitching really struggled in this one allowing nine Rochester hits and walking a total of seven Honkers. The Beetles defense wasn’t much help either, registering a staggering eight errors.
The Beetles offense couldn’t get anything going against Rochester starter Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who tossed 6.0 innings of one-hit baseball and allowed just one earned run to earn his first victory of the season. Miller tallied nine strikeouts and walked four.
Reliever Jordan Millbrath (Augustana) picked up the save (1) with the final 3.0 innings of work. Millbrath struck out five batters and allowed just one hit.
Third baseman Brandon Defazio blasted his second home run in a Honkers uniform in the bottom of the seventh inning with a runner on board. Defazio now has two home runs and eight RBIs in four games against the Alexandria Beetles in 2012. Defazio finished the night 1 for 4.
Center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) went 2 for 5 at the plate and designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) went 2 for 4 with two RBIs in the win.
The Honkers (11-15) and Beetles (9-17) will square off again tomorrow at Mayo Field for the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM. The pitching matchup will consist of righty Chris Noble (Pikeville) for the Honkers against righty Scott Sanderson (St. Cloud State) for the Beetles. Noble is 1-3 in four starts and Sanderson is 0-1 in ten outings in 2012.
June 23, 2012
Honkers Win 9-8 in Ten Innings Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers could not hold onto an 8-2 lead with just two innings left in the game, but were still able to squeeze out a 9-8 victory over the Willmar Stingers in ten innings.
After trailing 2-0, Rochester jumped out on top with a big fifth inning. Sending ten men to the plate, the Honkers were able to score five runs on two walks, two hit batters, two hits, and two errors by the Willmar defense.
Designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i), first baseman Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton), and center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) each hit solo home runs in the win.
Honkers starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) had his most effective outing of the summer as he tossed 7.0 innings and gave up just two earned runs on three hits, but was given a tough-luck no-decision. Johnson made the Stingers bats miss all day with ten total strikeouts, but he did however walk five batters.
Willmar starter Jerad McCrummen (Texas Tech) was also tagged with a no-decision after he gave up five runs in 4.2 innings of work. However, four of those runs were unearned.
Rochester pitcher Elliot Engle (Doane) could not hold the Honkers lead and gave up six runs in the final 2.0 innings including two two-run homeruns to send the game to extra innings.
Trevor Podratz delivered the game winning hit in the top of the tenth inning to give the Honkers a 9-8 lead.
Ty McDevitt (Minnesota) came on and shut down the Stingers in the bottom of the tenth to seal the victory for the Honkers and solidify the two-game series split.
The Honkers are off tomorrow but will be back at home on Monday June 25th with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM. Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) will be on the bump for the Honkers. In his only start of the season on June 18th, the tall lefty tossed 4.0 innings against Mankato and did not allow an earned run, and was handed a no-decision.
June 22, 2012
Honkers Fall to Stingers in Fourteen Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers could not hold on for their fourth straight win on Friday night against the Willmar Stingers falling by a final score of 7-6 in fourteen innings.
Stingers first baseman Michael Suchy (Florida Gulf Coast) hit the game winner off of Honkers pitcher Reid Roper (Illinois) in the bottom of the fourteenth to spoil the Honkers three game winning streak.
The Honkers had a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth, but Rochester closer Dakota Smith (Kansas) surrendered a run with two outs for his first blown save of the season.
Rochester starter Tim Zufall (Oral Roberts) pitched 5.2 innings and surrendered three earned runs on three hits and six walks. Zufall struck out two Stingers in the game on his way to a no decision.
Dakota Smith finished the night 3 for 6 with two RBIs and right fielder Justin Parr went 2 for 6 with a run.
Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) and Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) each chipped in for two hits apiece in the defeat.
The fourteen inning contest was the longest of the year for the Honkers.
The Honkers and Stinger will meet again tomorrow, June 23rd at 6:05 PM for game two of the series. On the hill for the Honkers is right hander Kevin Johnson (Illinois). Johnson is 0-0 in two starts this season.
The Honkers will be home again on Monday, June 25th against the Alexandria Beetles at 7:05 PM.
June 21, 2012
Honkers Sweep Beetles Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers stay hot on Thursday night, June 21st and complete the three-game sweep of the Alexandria Beetles by a final score of 9-4.
The big blow of the game was a three-run homerun by third baseman Brandon Defazio (San Mateo) in the top of the seventh inning to stretch the Honkers lead to five runs.
Despite four errors committed by the Honkers, the Beetles would never be able to claw their way back.
After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run single from Defazio, Dakota Smith (Kansas) added a two-run homerun in the top of the second to make it an early 5-0 Honkers lead.
Rochester starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) did not have his best stuff on Thursday, but was still effective enough to earn the win. Kent tossed 7.0 innings and surrendered three earned runs (four total) on six hits while striking out four Beetles to improve his record to 2-1.
Defazio finished the game 3 for 5 with the big home run and six RBIs. First baseman Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) was 2 for 4 with two runs and left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) finished 2 for 5 with his own two runs scored.
Honkers relievers Nick Williams (Tennessee) and Jordan Milbrath (Augustana) each pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings respectively to seal the victory.
The Honkers (9-14) travel to Willmar on Friday for a 7:05 game with the Stingers (14-9). Rochester starter Tim Zufall (Oral Roberts) makes his second start of 2012 and third appearance overall. Zufall is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA.
The Honkers are not back at home until Monday, June 25th against Alexandria at Mayo Field.
June 20, 2012
Honkers Win Second in a Row Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers have won their second game in a row by defeating the Alexandria Beetles 6-3 on Wednesday night.
With the victory, the Honkers have won their first series in more than two weeks.
Reid Roper came through in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run single to give the Honkers a 2-1 lead. Roper finished the game 2 for 4 and is now 7 for his last 12.
The Honkers gave up the lead in the bottom of the eighth but scored three runs in the top of the ninth highlighted by a two-run Dakota Smith (Kansas) triple to go back on top 6-3.
Smith was 1 for 2 for on the night with three runs and two RBIs.
After allowing an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, Rochester starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) settled down and cruised through the next four. Snelten finished with seven strikeouts and scattered just three Alexandria hits over 5.0 innings to pick up a no-decision.
The win went to relief pitcher Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton). Wallach pitched 1.0 inning and allowed two runs on two hit batters, a walk and a hit, but was awarded his first win of 2012.
Jared Allen (Tennessee) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the save.
The Honkers and Beetles will complete their three-game series tomorrow night, June 21st in Alexandria with the first pitch at 7:05 PM. Honkers lefty starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) will face Beetles starter Jon Reed (Memphis). Kent is 1-1 in three starts with a 1.66 ERA. Reed is 2-0 in six appearances, five of them out of the bullpen, with a 0.56 ERA.
The Honkers will not play at home until Monday, June 25th against the same Alexandria Beetles team.
June 19, 2012
Honkers Squash Beetles 8-6 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)–The Rochester Honkers snapped their four-game losing streak on Tuesday night by defeating the Alexandria Beetles by a final score of 8-6.
The Honkers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning capped by a three-run home run from first baseman Reid Roper (Illinois). The homerun was Roper’s third of the season and his second in as many days.
The Honkers scored another run in the second inning and two in the fourth on a two-run single by left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois).
Rochester starter Chris Noble (Pikeville) pitched a strong 7.0 innings and gave up three Alexandria runs to earn his first win of the season and improve his record to 1-3. Noble had plenty of help from his defense who turned three double plays behind him in the first three innings.
A sensational diving play by Honkers shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) in the top of the seventh prevented the Beetles from plating two and kept the lead at 7-3.
Reliever Ty McDevitt (Minnesota) made his Honkers debut in the eighth inning but surrendered two earned runs in just 0.1 innings. Dakota Smith (Kansas) came in to relieve McDevitt with runners on second and third and just one out, and retired the next two Beetles to keep the Honkers’ lead at three runs.
Smith came back out in the ninth and solidified the Honkers victory with his second save of the year.
Roper continues his hot hitting for the Honkers finishing 3 for 5 at the plate with an RBI double to complement his homerun in the first.
Smith, to go along with his save, was also 3 for 5 at the plate. Designated hitter Trevor Podratz was 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
The Honkers and Beetles will resume their series tomorrow, June 20th, in Alexandria at 7:05 PM. Starting for Rochester is lefty DJ Snelten (Minnesota), who is 0-2 in three games with a 2.84 ERA. Snelten will go up against Beetles right handed starter Scott Sanderson (St. Cloud State). Sanderson is 0-0 in nine appearances with a 12.46 ERA.
The Honkers will not be back at home until June 25th when they take on the same Alexandria Beetles at 7:05 PM.
June 18, 2012
Honkers Defeated 11-6 Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Honkers suffered through an 11-6 defeat at the hands of the Mankato MoonDogs on Monday night, June 18th.
The Honkers let defensive miscues get the best of them again as they committed five errors in the game to give them a total of forty for the season.
After tying the game in the bottom of the sixth on a Tim Zufall (Oral Roberts) two-run homerun to right-center field, newly acquired reliever Jordan Milbrath (Augustana) handed the lead right back to the MoonDogs by giving up four runs in the top of the seventh to make the score 9-5.
Milbrath was handed the loss after 2.2 innings with seven earned runs allowed on ten Mankato hits. Milbrath is now 0-1 on the season.
Honkers starting pitcher Jared Miller pitched 4.0 innings and gave up two runs, both unearned for his first appearance of the 2012 Northwoods League season. Miller was given a no-decision for his performance.
The Honkers were able to collect ten hits in the game after a three-hit performance last night in Mankato, but their three long balls and six total runs would not be productive enough for a win.
Rochester leadoff hitter Justin Parr (Illinois) had a good night, finishing 3 for 5. Designated hitter Justin Podratz (Hawaii) and first baseman Reid Roper (Illinois) each had two hits and a home run in the defeat.
Earning the victory for the MoonDogs was starter Adam Mott. Mott is now 1-0.
Mankato tallied seventeen hits as a team and two home runs from the bats of Trey Nielsen (Utah) and Dan Sheppard (Iowa).
The Honkers (6-14) will begin a three-game series with the Alexandria Beetles (7-11) tomorrow, June 19th. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM at Mayo Field in Rochester. The final two games of the series will be played in Alexandria.
Starting tomorrow for the Honkers will be right hander Chris Noble (Pikeville). Noble is 0-3 with an 8.53 ERA in three outings. On the hill for the Beetles will be righty Steve Weber (Eastern Michigan) who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
June 17, 2012
Honkers Shutout by MoonDogs Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers were defeated by a final score of 3-0 at the hands of the Mankato MoonDogs in Mankato.
Three hits were all the Honkers offense could muster up in game one of a three game series that comes back to Rochester tomorrow.
Rochester starter Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) pitched 5.0 innings and gave up two runs for the defeat. O’Neal, who struck out five batters and surrendered seven hits, falls to 0-1 this year in five appearances.
Mankato’s starter Seth Webster (Nicholls State) was phenomenal in a complete game three-hit shutout. Webster walked just one Honkers batter and struck out eight to pick up his second win of the 2012 summer.
The three hits for the Honkers came off the bats of catcher Matt Halloran (Minnesota), right fielder Justin Parr (Illinois), and left fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC).
Reid Roper (Illinois) pitched 2.0 innings in relief of O’Neal and gave a run on two hits and a walk. Nick Williams (Tennessee) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and struck out two in the defeat.
The Honkers and MoonDogs will square off for game two tomorrow, June 18th, in Rochester. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. The Honkers send to the hill left handed pitcher Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who will be making his first appearance of the season. The MoonDogs starter will be righty Adam Mott (New Mexico State) who is 0-0 in one start.
June 16, 2012
Honkers Lose Fourth Straight Series Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers were in the game for the first 6.0 innings, but a grand slam in the top of the seventh off the bat of Duluth left fielder Luke Campbell (New Mexico) broke it wide open and the Honkers would eventually fall to the Huskies 11-1. The Honkers have now lost four straight series.
Rochester starter Elliot Engle (Doane) kept his team close allowing just two runs (one earned) over 5.0 innings of work. Despite his strong outing, Engle was handed the loss to fall to 1-3 on the season.
Duluth starting pitcher Joey Novak (Harvard) tossed 6.0 total innings of one-run baseball to move his record to 4-0 in 2012.
The Huskies collected twelve hits compared to just four for the Honkers.
Duluth’s Campbell finished the game 2 for 5 with the grand slam and five total RBIs.
For Rochester, left fielder Justin Parr (Illinois) was 1 for 2, scoring the lone run of the game for the home team.
The Honkers (6-12) will be in Mankato tomorrow, June 17th, at 6:05 PM to begin a two-game series with the MoonDogs (13-5). Righty Carl O’Neal will start the ballgame for the Honkers. O’Neal is 0-0 with a 12.79 ERA in four appearances.
June 15, 2012
Honkers Drop Game Two Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers could not hold an early lead and fell 11-10 to the Duluth Huskies in game two of their three-game series.
After surrendering two runs in the top of the first inning, the Honkers’ offense came alive with five in the bottom half ignited by a leadoff home run off the bat of right fielder Justin Parr (Illinois).
Duluth scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning before designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) hit a long two-run home run in the bottom of the frame to put the Honkers up 8-4.
However Rochester starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) could not keep the lead in tact as he gave up nine total runs (five earned) in his 5.0 innings of work to earn a no-decision. The fifth would prove to be the crucial inning with the Huskies scoring five runs to go back on top 9-8.
The Honkers answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth but gave the lead right back to Duluth in the top of the sixth to make the score 11-10.
No more runs would be scored in the game and the Honkers took the defeat.
Reid Love (St. Johns River State) was tagged with the loss to run his 2012 record to 1-1.
Reid Roper and Justin Parr each finished the night 3 for 4 in the loss.
The Honkers and Huskies will complete the three-game series on Saturday June 16th with the first pitch at 7:05 PM. Elliot Engle (Doane) will be on the bump for Rochester and he will face fellow right handed starter Joey Novak (Harvard). Engle is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA and Novak is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.12.
June 15, 2012
Honkers Take First Game of Duluth Series Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers were able to hold on to a close 2-1 lead that carried over from Thursday night’s rain delayed series opener.
Honkers starter Tim Zufall (Oral Roberts) came back today after starting last night’s game and pitched 3.0 more innings to pick up his first victory of the year in his first appearance.
Dakota Smith (Kansas) picked up the save (1) by striking out two and getting the last Huskies batter to fly out.
Nick Williams (Tennessee) pitched three very effective innings in relief for Rochester and did not surrender a run.
Offensively for the Honkers, Jared Allen (Tennessee) went 2 for 3 with a run scored and Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
The Honkers will now play game two of the series. The Honkers send out Kevin Johnson (Illinois) to face Huskies starter Jonathon Meyer (Clemson).
June 14, 2012
Honkers Game Suspended Until Tomorrow
(Rochester, MN)– Game one of a three-game series with the Duluth Huskies has officially been suspended until tomorrow, June 15th, at 6:00 PM. The game will resume in the bottom of the second with two outs and Honkers on second and third base and will go nine innings like usual.
The game that was originally scheduled for June 15th will be played tomorrow night as well, after a 30 minute break, but will only be seven innings.
Gates will open at 5:00 PM and tailgating will begin at 4:00 PM.
June 13, 2012
Honkers Blanked in Waterloo Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Rochester Honkers were swept by the Bucks for the second time this season and third time overall on Wednesday afternoon falling to Waterloo by a final score of 7-0.
Honkers starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) deserved a much better fate in this one. Kent pitched 6.2 innings and surrendered just two runs and struck out seven, but was still handed his first loss of the year due in large part to a severe lack of offense (1-1).
The Honkers collected only three hits in the game, all singles, and stranded a total of seven base runners.
The Waterloo pitching staff was dominant with starter Micah Bryan (Charlotte) tossing 7.0 innings of two-hit shutout baseball to earn his first win of the season (1-1). The Waterloo bullpen held the Honkers to one hit over the final 2.0 innings to keep the victory in place.
The three Honkers batter to record hits in the contest were Reid Roper (Illinois), Jordan Parr (Illinois), and Cole Lankford (Texas A&M).
The Honkers were outscored 38-13 by the Bucks in the three-game set.
First baseman Chad Wallach (Cal State Fullerton) went 0 for 2 with two walks in his first game of the summer.
Rochester has now lost six of their last eight games after sweeping the thunder Bay Border Cats at the beginning of June.
The Honkers (5-10) are back at home tomorrow, June 14th, to begin a three-game series with the Duluth Huskies (9-5). First pitch is at 7:05 PM. Getting the start for the Honkers is Tim Zufall (Oral Roberts) in what will be his first pitching appearance of the 2012 season.
June 12, 2012
Honkers Bucked by Waterloo Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— Walks and sloppy errors continue to plague the Rochester Honkers as they suffer a 13-3 defeat at the hands of the Waterloo Bucks on Tuesday night.
The Bucks out-hit the Honkers seventeen to eight and have now out-scored the home team 34-13 in the first two games of the series.
Rochester starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) pitched 3.2 innings walked four batters and struck out five and was handed the loss to move his record to 0-2. Defensive miscues did not accommodate Snelten’s performance and only one of his two runs allowed were earned.
It wasn’t until the later innings that Waterloo started to really pour it on scoring two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, three in the eighth, and three in the ninth.
The Waterloo starter, Brock Hudgens (Charlotte), held the Honkers to just three runs in 6.1 innings, good enough to earn his first win of the 2012 season (1-0).
The Honkers made some noise in the bottom of the seventh but could only manage to push across one run after centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) went down on strikes with a runner at third base and two outs to end the threat.
Jordan Parr (Illinois) went yard in the bottom of the fifth inning for his first homer of the season. Parr’s twin brother Justin (Illinois) went 2 for 4 and made a spectacular play to rob Waterloo leadoff hitter Riley Good (UTSA) of extra bases in the top half of the ninth.
Honkers shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) picked up a couple of hits in the leadoff spot.
Bucks centerfielder Peter Leonello (Long Island) finished 6 for 6 in the contest with three RBIs.
The Honkers will travel to Waterloo on Wednesday June 13th to complete the Bucks series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM. Rochester lefty starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M) will oppose Waterloo lefthander Micah Bryan (Charlotte). Kent is 1-0 this year with a 1.20 ERA in starts. Bryan is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA.
June 11, 2012
Honkers Blown Out by Bucks Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— The Honkers could not stop the runs from pouring in on Monday night, falling victim to the Waterloo Bucks by a lopsided score of 21-10.
After jumping out to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the game would go nowhere but downhill for the home team as they would surrender one in the second inning and then a whopping twelve in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
Honkers starting pitcher, right hander Chris Noble’s (Pikeville) ERA would take a serious hit after giving up eleven (eight earned) runs in 3.0 innings of work for the loss. Noble, who could not buy an out in the top of the fourth, is now 0-3 on the season.
The Honkers would use four more pitchers in the game and allow another seven runs over the next five innings to give the Bucks a total of twenty-one.
Rochester pushed across two runs in the eighth inning and another three runs in the ninth, but the deficit was too large at that point.
Waterloo starter Dustin Lamacchia (Quinnipiac) pitched five innings and gave up three runs to earn the victory in his first start of the year.
Honkers first baseman Jake Ratz had a great night off of the bench going 2 for 2 with a deep two-run home run to right center in the eighth inning and an RBI single in the ninth.
Centerfielder Dakota Smith (Dakota) finished 3 for 5 with two runs and three runs batted in and left fielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) was 2 for 4.
The thirty-one combined runs scored are the fifth highest total in Northwoods League history.
The Honkers will look to bounce back tomorrow, June 12th, against the Bucks at 7:05 PM at Mayo Field. On the mound for Rochester will be lefty DJ Snelten (Minnesota). Snelten is 0-1 in two starts with a 4.00 ERA. The Bucks will send right hander Brock Hudgens (Charlotte) to the hill for the start. Hudgens is 0-0 in two starts with a 2.16 ERA.
June 10, 2012
Roper Walk Off Homer Wins It Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)— Sometimes all it takes is one pitch to turn things around for a ballclub. A walk-off two ball, two strike homerun off of the bat of Reid Roper (Illinois) on Sunday afternoon won it for the Honkers and may just be the spark that they need to get back to playing winning baseball.
With the Honkers trailing the MoonDogs 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on second and third base, Reid Roper smacked a long three-run homer to right field off of Mankato closer Patrick Goelz (Oklahoma City) to send the MoonDogs packing and give the Honkers the 7-6 victory.
The homerun for Roper was his first of the year.
Rochester starter Kevin Johnson (Illinois) struggled in his first outing of the 2012 season giving up four earned runs on nine MoonDogs hits in just 5.0 innings of work. Johnson also allowed three Mankato walks.
Mankato starting pitcher Davis Henderson (Oklahoma City) was shaky in the first inning but was able to settle down over the next five innings and throw shutout baseball. The Spring, TX native worked 6.0 innings and allowed only two runs in the bottom of the first frame, while striking out a total of six Honkers batters.
After loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning and coming up empty, the Honkers offense had them packed again in the bottom half of the ninth. Rightfielder Justin Parr singled home one run to make it 6-3 before a balk from Mankato closer Patrick Goelz (Oklahoma City) made it 6-4 in front of the Roper longball.
The Honkers bullpen was solid in the victory keeping the MoonDogs offense in check and giving the Honkers a fighting chance. Rochester native Brandon Zywicki (Central Arizona) and Dunnellon, FL native Reid Love (St. Johns River State) combined to work the final 4.0 innings and allow just one run.
Honkers shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) and centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) each finished 2 for 4.
Registering the win for the Honkers was reliever Reid Love (1-0) and the loss went to Mankato’s Patrick Goelz (0-1).
The win for the Honkers kept them from a sweep and gives the team momentum going into the next series.
The Honkers (5-7) will start a three-game series with Waterloo (8-3) on Monday with the first two to be played in Rochester and the final game in Waterloo. First pitch on Monday is scheduled for 7:05 PM. Chris Noble (Pikeville), who is 0-2 in two starts will be on the mound for Rochester.
June 9, 2012
Honkers Bounced by Moon Dogs Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers lost to the MoonDogs in Mankato on Saturday night by a final score of 8-0.
Rochester starting pitcher Elliot Engle (Doane) was not as effective as his last outing going 5.1 innings and surrendering eight Mankato runs to push his record to 1-2. Engle allowed eight hits and walked two Mankato batters while sending down six on strikes.
MoonDogs starter Kyle McGrath (Louisville) was solid in his first start of the season holding the Honkers scoreless on just four hits. McGrath recorded eight strikeouts and walked three to improve his record to 1-1.
The big story for the Honkers was a serious lack of offense with just five total hits. Michael Benjamin (Arizona State) was able to finish 2 for 4 but never had anyone on base in front of him with the top two guys in the lineup, Dakota Smith (Kansas) and Reid Roper (Illinois) combining to go 0 for 8 at the plate.
The MoonDogs, however, had ten hits and were able to score with runners in scoring position consistently all night. Mankato first baseman Blair Moore (Cal Baptist) went 2 for 4 at the plate with a solo homerun.
With the Honkers trailing 8-0 after 5.1 innings, field manager Zach Etheredge was forced to use position players on the pitching mound for the second straight game.
First baseman Jake Ratz (Ellsworth JC) pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings with three strikeouts and third baseman Michael Benjamin pitched the bottom of the eighth and walked two batters, but escaped without giving up a run.
The Honkers (4-7) and MoonDogs (9-2) will face off in Rochester at 1:05 PM at Mayo Field on Sunday, June 10th. Starting for the Honkers is right hander Kevin Johnson (Illinois), who will be making his first appearance of the 2012 season. He will face Mankato right hander Davis Henderson (Oklahoma City). Sunday will be Henderson’s first outing of 2012 as well.
June 8, 2012
Honkers Lose Series to Duluth Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers couldn’t produce much offensively on Friday night falling to the Duluth Huskies by a final score of 9-1 to lose the series two games to one.
Rochester native Brandon Zywicki (Central Arizona) started on the mound for the Honkers, but only lasted 1.0 inning after surrendering six runs on five hits and two walks. With the loss, Zywicki evens his record at 1-1.
Duluth starting pitcher Austin Perez (Stetson) tossed 5.0 innings of one-run baseball to improve his record to 3-0 on the year. Perez struck out three Honkers batters and walked two.
After Rochester reliever Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s TX) gave up three runs over 3.2 innings, outfielder Trevor Robertson (Three Rivers CC) came on to pitch the final 3.1 innings to help save arms for the Honkers, and was in dominant form. Robertson did not give up a run and struck out three in his first appearance of the 2012 season.
Offensively for the Honkers, center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) continues his hot hitting, collecting two more hits tonight and finishing 2 for 4 with a run scored. Third baseman Michael Benjamin (Arizona State) went 2 for 5.
Ben Lahn (Lamar CC), Redi Roper (Illinois), Matt Halloran (Minnesota), and Jared Allen (Tennessee) collected one hit each for Rochester.
After their second series loss in a row, the Honkers (4-6) travel to Mankato on Saturday to take on the Moon Dogs (8-2) at Franklin Rogers Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM. On the hill for the Honkers will be right hander Elliot Engle (Doane), who is 1-1.
June 7, 2012
Honkers Hold On to Even Series Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)- The Rochester Honkers were victorious Thursday night in Duluth beating the Huskies 6-5 in a nail biter at Wade Stadium to snap their three-game losing streak and even the series at 1-1.
Matt Kent (Texas A&M) was impressive again in his second start of the season to pick up his first win of 2012 (1-0). The lefty scattered eight hits across seven frames of work, striking out three and allowing just one Duluth run.
Duluth starter Josh Mooney (Dixie State) lasted just two innings and surrendered three Honkers runs on three hits and two walks.
Rochester centerfielder Dakota Smith (Kansas) went 3 for 5 in the game with four RBIs and two runs to lead the Honkers offense. Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) finished the game 1 for 3 with two runs scored.
After committing five errors in each of the last two games, the Honkers defense had just one miscueon Thursday night.
The Huskies would not give up as they inched closer and closer, scoring one in the seventh and four in the eighth. The four runs in the eighth inning came off of Honkers reliever Tim Carlson (Doane).
After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the Honkers could not afford to let this one slip away, and thanks to a dominant inning of work by their closer in the final inning, they were able to hold on for their fourth victory of the season.
Jared Allen (Tennessee) struck out the side in the ninth to stop the Huskies' threatand pick up the save (1) for the Honkers.
The Honkers (4-5) and Huskies (5-4) will compete in the rubber match on June 8th with opening pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM. Starting for the Honkers will be right-handed pitcher Reid Roper (1-0, Illinois) and he will go up against righty Ryan Arrick (0-0, Illinois).
June 6, 2012
Honkers Drop Series Opener in Duluth Boxscore
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers losing skid continues at three games as they lost to the Duluth Huskies 3-2 on Wednesday night. The loss comes at the beginning of a four-game road trip for Rochester.
Honkers starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) lasted just 4.0 innings after giving up three (two earned) Duluth runs on two walks and three hits. Snelten picked up the loss to run his record to 0-1. For Snelten the defeat was his first of the year.
Reid Roper (Illinois) was effective in 3.0 innings of relief of Snelten surrendering zero runs and just one hit.
Huskies starting pitcher Evan Geist (Florida State) pitched 6.0 innings of one-run baseball scattering three of the Honkers’ five hits while striking out seven. Geist is now 1-1 on the year.
The Honkers committed five errors for the second game in a row making life hard for their starting pitcher, and a lack of offense only added to the problem.
Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i) had the only successful night at the plate for the Honkers finishing 2 for 2 before leaving the game with an injury.
Honkers radio broadcaster Mike Broskowski says that “Podratz walked off the field gingerly, maybe his ankle or his foot.”
The other three hits came off the bats of Dakota Smith (Kansas), Adam Giacalone (Neosho County CC), and Jared Allen (Tennessee).
For Podratz, his average climbs to .435, the highest on the Honkers roster.
The Honkers and Huskies will be back in Duluth for game two of the series on Thursday June 7th at Wade Stadium. Opening pitch is set for 7:05 PM. The Honkers will send Matt Kent (0-0, Texas A&M) to the hill and he will oppose Huskies starter Josh Mooney (Dixie State, 1-0).
In Kent’s last start on June 1st against Thunder Bay, the young lefty was magnificent in 8.0 innings of work allowing just one earned run and striking out nine Border Cats.
June 5, 2012
Honkers Swept by Stingers in Short Series Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers dropped their second straight game to the Willmar Stingers by a final score of 7-1, completing the two-game series sweep.
The home team was sloppy with the leather committing five errors on the night.
Picking up the loss for Rochester was starting pitcher Chris Noble (Pikeville). The defeat is Noble’s second of the year (0-2).
Noble deserved a better fate in this one, giving up just two earned runs over 6.0 innings of work, but the Honkers could only manage to push across a single run on six hits.
Willmar starter Scott Lieser (St. Cloud State) tossed 7.0 innings, holding the Honkers to one run and scattering five hits. Lieser improves his record to 1-1 with the victory.
One bright spot for Honkers fans is the appearance of Reid Roper’s (Illinois) bat, finishing 2 for 3 with a run scored. Roper was hitless in his previous twenty at bats coming into this one.
Honkers reliever Carl O’Neal (St. Mary’s of TX) made his first appearance of the 2012 season, but could only make it through 1.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and walking three.
Jared Allen (Tennessee) pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings in relief for Rochester in his second outing of the summer.
The Honkers (3-4) are on the road tomorrow in Duluth to begin a three-game set with the Huskies (4-3). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. The Honkers are starting DJ Snelten (Minnesota) against fellow left hander Evan Geist (Florida State).
Snelten is 0-0 this season with a 3.60 ERA. In his only outing so far this year, the tall lefty struck out ten Waterloo Bucks batters.
Geist is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in one start.
June 4, 2012
Honkers Win streak Ends at Three Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—Walks were an issue as the Honkers failed to keep their win streak alive on Monday, falling 9-5 in the series opener with the Willmar Stingers.
The win was the first of the season for Willmar.
Honkers starter Drew Merlo (Fresno City CC) struggled to find the strike zone in his 3.1 innings of work, walking seven Stinger batters and surrendering five runs (three earned) to pick up the loss. Merlo’s record falls to 0-1 in what was his first start of the 2012 season.
The Honkers jumped out on top early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch to plate Dakota Smith (Kansas), and a run scoring fielder’s choice off the bat of Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) to score Matt Halloran (Minnesota).
The Honkers would only plate two more runs in the game, one of them a Ben Lahn opposite field solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. Lahn finished the game 2 for 5 with that home run and two RBIs. The long ball was Lahn’s team-leading third of the season.
Willmar starting pitcher Jerad McCrummen (Texas Tech) got into trouble in the first, but was able to settle down and pitch effectively for the next three frames giving up three total runs on five hits.
The victory for Willmar was given to relief pitcher Jacob Cage (Azusa Pacific) after three innings of one-run baseball.
Right handed reliever Adam Giacalone (Neosho County CC) was solid in three innings of work. Giacalone gave up just one run on one hit and two strikeouts.
Honkers center fielder Dakota Smith (Kansea) went 2 for 4 with a run scored.
The Honkers and Stingers will play tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Mayo Field for the second and final game of the series. The Honkers will send Chris Noble (Pikeville), who is 0-1, to the mound to oppose Stingers starter Scott Lieser (St. Cloud State), who also holds a record of 0-1 and a 7.20 ERA.
June 3, 2012
Honkers Complete Sweep of Thunder Bay Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers completed the three-game sweep of the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Sunday June 3rd by a final score of 5-1.
Honker right hander Elliot Engle (Doane) was very effective over 8.0 innings of work, allowing just one run on six hits, while never really having to work out of a jam. Engle struck out seven Border Cats and surrendered zero free passes on his way to earning his first victory of the season and evening his record at 1-1.
The Honkers hitters continue to produce, combining for twelve more hits in the game and increasing their team batting average to .257 through the first two series.
Third baseman Michael Benjamin (Arizona State) finished 3-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) continued his tear at the plate going 3-4 to run his average up to .474 and push his hitting streak to five games.
Designated hitter Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) also chipped in with a couple of hits and two RBIs for the home team.
Border Cats starting pitcher Kurtis McCallum (Mayville State) registered the loss after six innings of work. McCallum (0-1) gave up three earned runs, all in the first three innings.
Reid Roper (Illinois) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, working his way out of a tight situation with two runners on and just one out. Roper would induce a 4-6-3 double-play to end the game and solidify the sweep.
The Rochester Honkers will host the Willmar Stingers on Monday June 4th to begin a two-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM at Mayo Field. The Honkers will send out lefty Drew Merlo (Fresno City) for his first start of 2012. Merlo (0-0) pitched 1.0 scoreless inning in the season opener at Waterloo and struck out one batter.
June 2, 2012
Honkers Take Second in a Row After Offensive Explosion Box Score
(Rochester, MN)– The Rochester Honkers offense erupted tonight with a 13-6 victory over Thunder Bay in front of 806 fans at Mayo Field.
The home team belted four home runs and tallied fourteen hits in this one, giving the Rochester native and starting pitcher Brandon Zywicki (Central Arizona) plenty of support to work with.
The hometown kid was very impressive over seven innings of work, taking a one-hit shutout into the eighth inning, but gave up five earned runs without recording an out in the top half of the frame.
The damage was already done however for Thunder Bay, falling behind 11-0 in the bottom of the sixth after a two-run homer from outfielder Jared Allen (Tennessee).
Honkers outfielder Ben Lahn went 3 for 4 with a grand slam, a double, and five RBIs. Dakota Smith and Trevor Podratz each went 2 for 4 with one home run apiece.
Last night’s hero, shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan), also picked up two hits in the game.
Tim Carlson (Doane) pitched the eighth and ninth innings in relief of Zywicki giving up one run on four hits, while striking out five.
The Honkers and Border Cats are back in action tomorrow, Sunday June 3rd, for the first day game at Mayo Field in 2012. The Honkers will give the starting nod to lefty Elliot Engle (Doane College) for the series finale, and he will oppose Thunder Bay right handed starter Kurtis McCallum (Mayville State).
Engle is 0-1 with a 0.00 ERA in 2.0 innings of work and McCallum has not yet made an appearance on the mound this year. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM.
June 1, 2012
Honkers Pick Up First Victory on Lukkason’s Walkoff Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers picked up their first win of the 2012 Northwoods League season on Friday night in front of 828 fans at Mayo Field on a walk-off solo homerun from shortstop Michael Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan) in the bottom of the tenth inning.
The Lukkason homer was his first of the season and second hit of the game.
Rochester first baseman Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) hit a long solo home run to left-center field to tie the game 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth and send it to extra innings.
Matt Kent (Texas A&M) was very effective in his first start of the season for the home team, throwing eight full innings of one-run baseball. Kent scattered five Border Cat hits and struck out nine, including five in his first two innings of work.
After giving up a first-inning Thunder Bay run, Kent cruised along for the next seven innings without much trouble.
Catcher Matt Halloran (Minnesota) went 2 for 4, including a go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the eighth scoring Lukkason to give the Honkers a 2-1 lead. Halloran also tied the game in the bottom of the third inning with a run-scoring single to plate second baseman Justin Protacio (Kansas).
Reid Roper (Illinois) came on to pitch the ninth in relief of Kent and surrendered the one-run Honker lead after walking two batters and giving up a run-scoring single to Thunder Bay leftfielder Scott Donley (Indiana). The Thunder Cats would then take the lead on a bases loaded fielder’s choice from rightfielder Kurtis McCallum (Mayville State).
Despite giving up the Honker lead in the top of the ninth inning, Roper was tagged with the victory to run his record to 1-0. Roper pitched the final two innings for Rochester, giving up two runs on one hit and two walks. Thunder Bay reliever Tony Viger (Augustana College) was given the loss to send his record to 0-1.
The game winner from Lukkason earned himself the Northwoods League Player of the Night honor, and Kent was chosen as the Pitcher of the Night for his brilliant effort.
The Honkers (1-2) will play Thunder Bay (1-2) again tomorrow at 7:05 PM at their place, Mayo Field.
May 31, 2012
Honkers Lose Home Opener to Waterloo Box Score
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers were handed their second loss in as many games on Thursday night at their home opener at Mayo field, losing 10-4 to the Waterloo Bucks.
Honker leftfielder Ben Lahn (Lamar CC) was 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the sixth inning, but the Bucks pitching was too much to handle for the home team.
Waterloo reliever Nick Maiers (St. Cloud State) picked up the victory after throwing 2.0 innings of one-run baseball.
The Waterloo starter, Micah Bryan (Charlotte), tossed 4.0 innings and surrendered just one run and scattered two Honker hits while striking out six. The Bucks bullpen kept the lead in tact over the final 5.0 innings combining to hold Rochester to three runs and five hits.
Rochester starter DJ Snelten (Minnesota) was solid in his 5.0 innings of work, giving up just two earned runs on two hits, while striking out ten Waterloo batters, but was left with the no-decision. Right hander Elliot Engle (Doane) pitched the sixth and seventh innings in relief for the Honkers and surrendered one run on a hit and three walks to pick up the loss.
Honkers right hander Merrick McGrady (North Park) had a rough outing in which he gave up six runs in just 1.0 inning of relief.
The Honkers left ten runners on base in this game and couldn’t quite get the bats rolling at a consistent rate, combining for 13 strikeouts at the plate.
Waterloo centerfielder Benny Roberts (Washington State) went 2 for 4 with two runs and a three-run homerun for the victors.
The Honkers (0-2) are back in action tomorrow at 7:05 at home against the Thunder Bay Border Cats (1-1).
May 30 2012
Honkers Drop Season Opener at Waterloo
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers dropped their first game of the 2012 season tonight to the Waterloo Bucks 4-2 in Waterloo, IA.
The game started out well for the Honkers scoring one run in the top of the second on a groundout from Jared Allen (Tennessee) following a Jake Ratz (Ellsworth Community College) double and another in the top of the fourth after a wild pitch to take a 2-0 lead.
The Honkers gave up the lead in the bottom of the fourth due to two Trevor Robertson (Three Rivers Community College) errors in left field, three Waterloo hits, and a hit batter by Rochester starter Chris Noble (Pikeville).
That would be the last score of the game as the Waterloo pitching staff shut down the Honker batters for the rest of the game. The Honkers had just five hits compared to the Bucks’ eight.
Honkers starter Chris Noble picked up the loss after pitching 3.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits. Nick Williams (Tennessee) was effective in relief with 3.1 innings of scoreless baseball and six strikeouts. Drew Merlo pitched the eighth inning and surrendered zero runs on one hit.
Waterloo reliever Zachary Pettiford (Texas A&M –Kingsville) picked up the win for the victorious Bucks after throwing 2.2 innings of shutout relief.
Highlighting the Honkers batting lineup were Jake Ratz, who went 1 for 4 with a double, and Jared Allen, who finished 1 for 4 with an RBI. Mike Lukkason (Dakota Wesleyan), Trevor Podratz (Hawai’i, and Nick Williams each picked up a hit in the loss.
Waterloo third baseman Connor McClain (Indiana State) finished 3 for 3 with an RBI in the winning effort.
The Honkers and Bucks will be back in action tomorrow night, May 31st in Rochester. Opening pitch is at 7:05 PM C.T. at Mayo Field.
May 25, 2012
Fan Day Cancelled, Media Time Moved Up!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers are sorry to inform the public that there will be no Fan Day this year due to high school baseball sectional requirements at Mayo Field.
The original Fan and Media Day was scheduled for this Tuesday, May 29 at 5:00pm, but due to high school sectional tournament games now being played at Mayo Field starting at 5:00pm, Fan Day needs to be cancelled.
Media Day Time Rescheduled: MEDIA DAY ONLY will now be on Tuesday, May 29th, starting at 11:00am at Mayo Field. Practice will run from 11:00am-1:00pm.
May 21, 2012
Honkers Announce 2012 Promotional Schedule
(Rochester, MN)—With the 2012 Northwoods League season one week away, the Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has officially announced their Promotional Events Schedule including a plethora of exciting events and giveaways for the people that give the Honkers a reason to play: the fans.
Highlighting the promotional events this summer are four Firework Extravaganza Nights and nine games with giveaways including free magnet schedules, posters, pennants, trading cards, thunder sticks, and even jerseys given to the first select number of Honker fans.
The Honkers will also host a Mascot Olympics on June 11th when the Waterloo Bucks come to town. This event will showcase various recognizable mascots from around town and from around the state of Minnesota.
Even the world famous ZOOperstars will be at Mayo Field this year! As “the fastest growing entertainment act in the country”, the ZOOperstars have been entertaining audiences with their dancing and silly antics since 1998, and have performed in front of over 30 million fans across the world. According to their website zoopersars.com, “they flip, they bounce, they shake, they dance and they just flat out JAM!”
The Honkers are even introducing a “Life’s a Beach” Night with margarita specials on July 7th and the first ever “Bark in the Park” day, where fans may bring their dog to the ballgame, and “Princess Night.”
Other exciting promotions to mark on the calendar include three I Bike/Walk Rochester events. On these dates, fans can park and walk from a designated parking lot and get four free tickets, or bike to Mayo Field and get one free ticket.
The Honkers want to give special thanks for all the sponsors that make the promotional nights a possibility! Check out rochesterhonkers.com for a schedule of all of the exciting entertainment events and promotional information for this season. Come out to the Mayo Field to cheer on your favorite Northwoods League ball club, and GO HONKERS!
May 15, 2012
Honkers Add Top ASU Hitter
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers Baseball Club has added one more infielder to their roster in Arizona State University sophomore Michael Benjamin.
Benjamin, a 6’0”, 200-pound Queen Creek, Arizona native is enjoying a solid season thus far for the Sun Devils. In 31 games, Benjamin is hitting .354, the highest average on an ASU team that is ranked #19 in the nation, and he has also hit three homeruns and collected 21 RBIs.
On Saturday, May 12th against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Benjamin went 4 for 5 with a homerun and five RBIs to lead the Sun Devils to a 10-1 blowout win.
The former 45th round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2010 Major League Draft played in twelve games last year as a freshman and went 4 for 22 with a homerun and three RBIs.
Benjamin is the son of Mike Benjamin, a 13-year MLB veteran and current Sun Devil assistant coach.
May 9, 2012
Honkers Add Six, Including Hometown Kid!
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers have applied the finishing touches to their 2012 roster by adding six temporary players, with local Rochester kid Brandon Zywicki among the new additions.
Zywicki is a 6’0”, 175-pound freshman RHP at Central Arizona College (45-13), who is ranked #20 in the NJCAA Division One standings. Zywicki is enjoying a fantastic season for the Roughriders with a record of 8-1 and a nearly microscopic 1.18 ERA. He also has 72 strikeouts in 91.1 total innings of work and has shown very impressive command with just 22 walks.
The Rochester Mayo High School graduate has only given up an earned run in five of his thirteen total starts, and just nine earned runs for the entire season.
The Honkers also added another backstop in University of Minnesota catcher Matt Halloran. The 5’ 10”, 175-pound sophomore is putting up a successful season so far with a .310 batting average with two homeruns and nineteen RBIs for the Golden Gophers (28-22).
The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native was All-State, All-Area, and All-Conference as a senior at Eden Prairie High School, and was also a candidate for the Minnesota Mr. Baseball award.
Four other players were added including Ellsworth Community College sophomore Jake Ratz, sophomore Merrick McGrady from North Park University, junior Chris Noble from University of Pikeville, and sophomore Trevor Robertson from Three Rivers Community College.
Ratz, a 6’4”, 215-pound 1B/DH is hitting .285 with eight homeruns and 35 RBIs in 44 games for the Ellsworth CC Panthers (25-24).
McGrady is a 5’9”, 170-pound RHP with a 0-1 record in fourteen appearances with a 5.57 ERA for the North Park University Vikings (28-11).
University of Pikeville (10-36) Chris Noble, a 6’2”, 200-pound RHP finished the regular season with a 1-6 record with a 5.54 ERA in 14 games. The reserve senior also finished the year at the plate with a .284 batting average to go along with one homerun and sixteen RBIs.
Trevor Robertson, a 6’1”, 200-pound OF/Utility Player, is hitting .320 in 39 games with three homeruns and 23 RBIs this season for the Three Rivers CC Raiders (23-20).
May 2, 2012
Honkers Voice receives Honorable Awards
(Rochester, MN)—Honker fans are in for a treat this summer when they tune in to hear their favorite baseball team compete in another year of Northwoods League action. The voice of the Honkers, radio broadcaster Michael Broskowski, is taking another step forward in his journey of a lifetime of calling baseball games over the airwaves, and he comes to Rochester with a few accolades already under his belt.
Broskowski, a junior from Western Illinois University, was honored this past weekend for his outstanding broadcasting work done during the 2011-2012 school year. Broskowski received the award for Best Sports Video Play by Play as the television voice for the Fighting Leatherneck football team, and the Best Sports Radio Play by Play for his work as the radio voice of the WIU women’s basketball team.
Broskowski was also honored by the entire state of Illinois as a finalist in the Illinois News Broadcasters Association student competition. The Jefferson, Wisconsin native finished in second place in the radio play by play category, a competition that included every school from the state of Illinois.
“It’s great to see all of your hard work that you put in throughout the year pay off,” Broskowski said of the accomplishment. “There is some great talent in this state, and to be in the top two is pretty special.”
In 2011, Broskowski spent the entire summer in Alaska as an intern with the Alaskan Baseball League. His work was based in Palmer, Alaska; a town located so far north that after the first of August sunlight becomes about as rare as a Wrigley Field World Series.
Only a true fanatic and student of the game would find light in a more or less depressing setting by spending the day at the ballpark, and Michael’s lucrative history of calling games only further highlights that point.
The awards Michael received at WIU are not the only of his broadcasting career. He was also honored in 2009 as a freshman at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa when he finished in second place, again competing against every other college in the state.
Broskowski’s passion for the game of baseball will not be lost on Honker fans this summer when he taps the mic for the first time and calls the opening pitch against the Waterloo Bucks on June 30th. Michael aspires to be like his hero Cory Provous, and has said before that working in the Northwoods League has always been a goal of his.
In an earlier press release for the Rochester Baseball Club, Michael expressed his excitement for this upcoming season by saying, “It’s a great honor to be part of the Rochester Honkers organization, an organization steeped in history. The Northwoods League has always been a goal of mine and to break in with the best franchise in the league, it’s special.”
April 27, 2012
Anderson Helps Defeat #1 Baylor
(Rochester, MN)—2012 Rochester Honker Justin Anderson was a part of University of Texas at San Antonio history on Tuesday night when he and his fellow Roadrunners defeated the #1 ranked Baylor Bears 4-1.
The victory marked the first win over a #1 ranked team in UTSA baseball history, and also ended Baylor’s 24-game winning streak. The loss was just BU’s eighth of the season to halt their win total at 35.
UTSA struck first in this one, with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Anderson, who was the Roadrunner DH out of the #2 spot in the lineup, walked with one out and was later plated on an RBI single to score the first run of the game. UTSA would pick up two more runs in the frame, which was more than enough to support starting pitcher Jordan Pacheco, who was brilliant over 5.1 innings, giving up just one run on seven hits against the top ranked team in the country.
Anderson picked up a single in the fifth inning and finished the night 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Anderson, just a freshman, is hitting .321 in 30 games with 12 RBIs and 13 runs. His .321 batting average and .402 on-base percentage are both good for third on the team.
The young Houston, Texas native has also pitched in 10 games for the Roadrunners and has a record of 2-2 with a 7.36 ERA.
Anderson and UTSA (18-23) will next travel to Conway, Arkansas on Friday, April 27th to begin a three-game series with the University of Central Arkansas.
April 26, 2012
Honkers Finalize Roster with Signing of TN Volunteer Pitcher
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers have finalized their 2012 roster by adding University of Tennessee sophomore right handed pitcher Nick Williams. The Knoxville, Tennessee native was the team’s closer during his freshman campaign, but has earned a spot in the Volunteer rotation this month.
So far this season, the 6’2”, 230-pound righty has pitched in 17 games, with seven of them coming as starts. Williams is 2-4 with a 3.13 ERA and has 36 strikeouts in 46.0 innings and three saves. He is tied for fourth on the team with 17 total appearances.
In his last start, UT lost in the fourteenth inning 3-2 to Mississippi State, but Williams was solid over six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out threein his seventh start of the season.
As a freshman in 2011, Williams appeared in 23 games, all out of the bullpen, and finished with a record of 2-1 with four saves.
The Tennessee Volunteers (22-19) will begin a weekend series at Auburn on Friday, April 27th.
April 24, 2012
Honkers Add San Jac Southpaw
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers have officially added another pitcher to their 2012 roster. Anthony Banda, a freshman left-handed pitcher from San Jacinto College, is the final permanent left-handed pitching addition to this summer’s Rochester staff.
Banda, a 6’3”, 185-pound Sinton, Texas native is enjoying a solid season so far this spring for the San Jac Gators. The young southpaw is 6-1 in ten starts with a low 2.10 ERA. Banda currently holds an 8.41 strikeouts per game ratio.
Banda’s last start on the mound was on April 21st against Galveston College. The freshman lefty pitched five innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits and four strikeouts to pick up his sixth win of the season.
Banda, who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 33rd round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft, was voted by Texas sports writers as an honorable mention on the Texas 3A All-State baseball team. Banda was also named the 2011 District 30 Senior of the Year.
April 20, 2012
Honkers Add Two Aggie Freshman
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers have updated their 2012 player roster by adding two Texas A&M Aggies. Catcher Cole Lankford and left-handed pitcher Matt Kent, both freshmen, will travel north this summer to make their Northwoods League debuts.
Lankford, a 6’1”, 190-pound Houston, Texas native has played in 16 games this season for the Aggies, with 9 of them as a starter behind the plate. The young left-handed hitting backstop has collected 4 RBIs so far this season and has thrown out 5 potential base stealers.
At Lamar High School in Houston, Lankford earned All-State honors his junior and senior seasons. As a junior in 2010, Cole batted .541 with 10 homeruns and 68 RBIs on his way to earning the Houston 5A Hitter of the Year Award. In 2011, Lankford played summer ball with the Columbia Angels.
Kent, a small 6’0”, 150-pound Waco, Texas native has opted to redshirt this season.
As a senior at Midway High School in 2011, Kent earned THSCA First Team All-State honors and was district MVP after a very impressive season. Matt finished the year with a 10-1 record, 0.63 ERA, and 122 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. Kent also hit .421 at the plate with 24 extra base hits, and the southpaw also threw a staggering 3 no-hitters that season.
The #2 ranked Texas A&M (28-9) will begin a three-game series (1 home, 2 away) with #6 ranked Baylor beginning on Friday, April 20th
April 18, 2012
Honkers Add Two from the Lone Star State
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club has signed St. Mary’s University (TX) junior right hander Carl O’Neal and University of Texas at San Antonio freshman right hander Justin Anderson for the 2012 summer.
Carl O’Neal, a 6’0” San Antonio native, has been nearly unhittable this year for the Division II #1 ranked St. Mary’s. In 11 games started so far this spring, O’Neal is 10-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 68.2 innings of work. The junior hurler has completed 7 games and is holding opponents to a dismal .174 batting average.
O’Neal’s last win came on April 13th against Panhandle State when he tossed his seventh complete-game in a 7-1 victory. The Rattler ace struck out 8 batters and surrendered only 5 hits and 0 earned runs on his way to his 10thth victory of the season.
As a sophomore in 2011, O’Neal started in 15 games, winning 7 of them, and finished with a very respectable 2.70 ERA. His 93 innings and 77 strikeouts were both good for second on the team.
Anderson, a 6’4”, 190-pound Houston native was recently named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week for his performance on Saturday, April 7th against McNeese State.
Anderson faced just one batter over the minimum and allowed only one hit in a 3-0 complete game victory. The tall hurler needed only 89 pitches (63 strikes) to complete the first shutout of his young college career. Anderson also struck out five batters in the game. Anderson is the first Roadrunner to win conference Pitcher of the Week honors since April 2009.
In 9 games (8 starts) so far this season, Anderson is 2-2 with a 7.99 ERA and has sent down 23 batters on strikes in 41.2 innings. Anderson has also seen time in the outfield and as the team’s designated hitter on games where he is not on the mound. In 25 overall games, he is hitting .313 with 10 RBIs and a .390 on-base percentage, good for third on the team.
April 16, 2012
Jeff McKenzie Return to Honkers Pitching Staff
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers will bring back left handed pitcher Jeff McKenzie for another season in the Northwoods League. McKenzie, an El Dorado Hills, California native, is a junior this season at CSU Bakersfield after transferring from San Joaquin Delta College a year ago.
The 6’0”, 170-pound lefty is 2-3 in 8 starts with a 1.92 ERA so far this spring for the Roadrunners (15-16). McKenzie is holding opposing hitters to a .243 batting average and has 38 strikeouts in 56.1 innings of work. He recently struck out 12 batters in a complete game three-hitter as CSU Bakersfield beat Santa Clara 4-0 on April 6th. The 12 strikes is second best in school history.
In 2011 for the Honkers, McKenzie pitched in 8 games with 7 of them starts. He finished the summer with a 1-3 record and a 3.57 ERA. McKenzie’s best start came on July 13th against St. Cloud when he pitched 8 innings of 2-hit, 2-run baseball registering his only victory for the season.
As a sophomore at San Joaquin Delta College in 2011, McKenzie was named MVP of the California Community College Athletic Association Tournament after leading his team to the first CCCAA championship since 1959. In the championship game, McKenzie tossed a complete game 7-hitter to earn the victory, while also picking off four base runners.
McKenzie had only pitched in 5 total innings all year before that championship winning start on the mound. As a starting outfielder in 36 of 40 games, McKenzie hit .238 with 1 homerun and 22 RBIs.
CSU Bakersfield will battle USC at home on Tuesday, April 17th.
April 6, 2012
Honkers Sign Hometown Pitching Star
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers have added hometown kid Mitchell Brown to their roster for this summer. Brown, a 6’2”, 205-pound right-handed pitcher will play in his senior season at Rochester Century High School. Brown started the season opener versus Faribault High School on April 5th, striking out 9 as Century won 6-1.
Brown, who was ranked by Baseball America as the #77 high school prospect in the country for the 2012 season, has committed to the University of San Diego for next year. USD associate head coach, Jay Johnson, who is largely responsible for the Toreros #1 ranked recruiting class for 2008 and the #2 recruiting class in 2010, is very confident in Mitchell’s pitching game.
“Mitch will definitely immerge as a starter for us next year, no question about it,” Johnson said in an interview. “He has great mound presence and great command of his fastball, and a very quick, athletic arm.”
Brown has showcased his pitching arsenal with summer tournament teams over the years including the Minnesota Starz and the Virginia-based Evoshield Canes Baseball. In the Fall 2011 WWBA World Championships in Jupiter, Florida, the young right-hander averaged 90-92 MPH on his fastball, and topped out at 93. Brown has also shown his ability to throw a slurve, which comes in at around 75 MPH. A slider and changeup are his two other out pitches.
One thing that Johnson really noticed about Mitchell while recruiting him was his hard-working, no-nonsense attitude, calling him a “workout fanatic.” The first time Johnson saw Brown pitch, he was throwing his fastball in the area of 86-87 MPH, and hadn’t fully developed his breaking pitches, so his improvements have been an on-going process throughout his career.
Last year, Brown helped lead Rochester Century to the semifinals of the state tournament as a junior, defeating defending champions Eden Prairie High School in the first round with a 3-0, complete game two-hit shutout. Rochester Century lost in the semifinals to eventual state champion Burnsville High School. Brown was named to the All-Tournament team for his performance in the first round. Brown finished the 2011 regular season with an impressive 10-1 record with a 0.93 ERA and was selected to the Minnesota 3A All-State Team. He also hit .390 with 6 homeruns and 32 RBIs.
Johnson is very excited to see Mitch progress this year and come to San Diego in the fall. “He’s (Brown) extremely confident,” Johnson said. “He believes in himself, and that will allow him to be successful for the Honkers.”
April 2, 2012
Honkers Garlick Belts Two Homers in a Game
(Rochester, MN)—No. 23 University of Oregon sophomore, and 2012 Rochester Honker Kyle Garlick belted two homeruns on Saturday against the No. 14 Arizona State Sun Devils in a 3-1 victory in Game 2 of a doubleheader. Garlick, who finished 2 for 3 in the game, is the first Oregon Duck to hit two long balls in a game since the program was reinstated in 2009.
After the Ducks (18-8) won Game 1 1-0, Garlick gave his team the lead in the nightcap with a second inning solo shot to left field. Garlick’s second homerun came in the bottom of the seventh to put the Ducks up 2-0. Honker teammate Scott Heineman followed with a walk before former Honker Brett Hambright drove him in with an RBI double.
After a ninth inning Sun Devil solo shot, Oregon closed out the game to win it 3-1 and take the first two games of a three-game series.
The Ducks then completed the sweep on Sunday with a 4-3 victory, marking the first series sweep of ASU in Oregon baseball history. Garlick picked up a couple more hits in the game, finishing 2 for 4 with a triple.
Garlick is now the team leader with 4 dingers on the year, and an impressive .351 average. Kyle also has 16 RBIs and 7 stolen bases.
Freshman third baseman Scott Heineman, is hitting .218 with 1 homerun and 7 RBIs, and junior infielder Ryan Hambright, the younger brother of Brett Hambright and a 2012 Honker, is batting .200 with 1 homerun and 3 RBIs.
Oregon will travel to Los Angeles on Thursday April 5th to begin a three-game series against UCLA.
March 20, 2012
Honkers Add Warrior Catcher
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers have added another backstop to their roster with the signing of University of Hawai’i at Manoa freshman Trevor Podratz.
Podratz, a 5’11”, 235-pound Temecula, California native has started 14 games this season for the Warriors. In 15 overall games, Podratz is hitting .262 with 6 RBIs and a .392 on-base percentage.
The freshman catcher is a 2011 graduate of Chaparral High School in Temecula, California where he was a three-time letter winner in baseball. In his junior season, Podratz was named First Team All-League and First Team All-State, and earned All-League honors his senior season.
Podratz also played four seasons with the San Diego Show, a club ball team, and spent the 2011 summer playing for the San Diego Waves of the Western Baseball Association. Podratz helped the Waves to a fourth place finish at the National Baseball Congress World Series.
Podratz and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (12-7) will be in action at the University of Portland on March 20th and then a 4-game set with Gonzaga in Spokane, WA starting on March 22.
March 15, 2012
Honkers Sign 2 from ORU
(Rochester, MN)—A couple of Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles will lace their cleats in Rochester this summer. Junior shortstop Nate Goro and junior right-handed pitcher Tim Zufall have officially been added to the Honkers roster for the upcoming 2012 summer season.
The 6’0”, 180-pound Goro is a 2009 graduate of Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri. In 15 games this season, the former 46th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers is hitting .299 with 6 doubles, 14 runs, and 12 RBIs, with an on-base percentage of .329. The slick-fielding shortstop can pick it as well, with just one error so far this season.
Goro played the 2011 season at Jefferson College in St. Louis, Missouri where he hit .269 in 50 games with 6 homeruns and 37 RBIs. In his 2010 freshman season, Goro played for the Wichita State Shockers, whom he helped lead to a 41-19 record and the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Goro hit .275 that year with 2 homeruns and 12 RBIs.
Zufall is a 6’4”, 210-pound Pueblo, Colorado native, who was drafted in the 45th round by the Florida Marlins. In four appearances for the Golden Eagles this year, Zufall is 0-0 with a 4.32 ERA. He’s also made 6 plate appearances hitting .167.
Zufall played the last two seasons at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado. In 2011, the big right-hander led LLC to a 47-17 record and the Empire Conference Championship, finishing with a 12-1 record on the mound and a 2.32 ERA. Zufall also hit .352 with 12 homeruns and 50 RBIs for the Runnin’ Lopes, and was selected to the All-Conference Team.
March 14, 2012
Welcome Back Nick Dolsky
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers have officially brought back Nick Dolsky, the big 6’8”, 220-pound right-handed pitcher from Apple Valley Minnesota for the 2012 summer. Dolsky will be playing his third straight season for Rochester.
Last summer, Dolsky had a solid campaign with the Honkers, going 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA. Dolsky made five starts and came out of the bullpen in relief eleven times, with one recorded save. Nick was selected to represent Rochester and pitch in the Northwoods League All Star Game for the North Division.
Dolsky, who pitches for the Des Moines Area Community College this spring, has made four starts this season. His record for the Bears is 1-2 with a 6.14 ERA. Nick has done an impressive job of making hitters miss so far, striking out 15 opposing batters in 14.2 innings of work.
Dolsky, who was regarded by Baseball America as Minnesota’s top prospect in high school, pitched as a redshirt freshman in 2011 for University of Nebraska, and had a solid short season. In seven appearances for the Huskers, Dolsky was 0-0 with an impressive 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings of work.
Nick and the DMACC Bears (8-8) will travel to Enid, Oklahoma on March 16th to take on Northern Oklahoma.
March 12, 2012
Johnson Pitches Complete Game, Other Honkers Involved
(Rochester, MN)—University of Illinois junior pitcher Kevin Johnson was in dominant form on Friday (March 9th) in a matchup with the #18 Oregon Ducks, a game that showcased four other 2012 Honker teammates. Johnson, who has emerged as the Fighting Illini’s top pitcher once again, tossed a complete-game four-hit gem to lead Illinois to a 2-1 victory at the Nike College Showcase at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon.
The Ducks (11-3) struck first with two doubles in the bottom of the second, but Johnson wouldn’t allow a runner past first base for the rest of the game. Illinois (6-6) was able to get on the board in the top of the fourth, when Illinois second baseman and fellow Honker Reid Roper scored on a fielder’s choice. The Fighting Illini scored their second run in the top of the sixth inning after Roper singled with two outs, and was brought in to score on a triple.
Those 2 runs would be all that Kevin Johnson would need, as he held the Ducks scoreless for the final seven innings to earn the complete-game victory. Johnson’s complete-game was the first for the Fighting Illini since May 28th, 2011, and his four hits surrendered were the fewest since February 19th, 2011. Johnson also struck out 5 hitters.
Roper finished the day 1 for 4, scoring both runs for Illinois.
In the loss for the Ducks, two 2012 Honkers were in the starting lineup. Leftfielder Kyle Garlick was 1 for 3 with the team’s only run batted in, and third baseman Scott Heineman went 1-3. Fellow Honker teammate Ryan Hambright did not get into the game, but older brother Brett (former Honker) started the game behind the plate and went 0 for 3.
March 9, 2012
Honkers Bring Back Snelten
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers have added more depth to their pitching staff by bringing back University of Minnesota sophomore DJ Snelten for the upcoming summer.
Snelten, a 6’7”, 225-pound left-handed pitcher from Indelside, IL pitched in 9 games last season for the Honkers after a short stint in the Cape Cod League, and finished with a 2-2 record with a 4.46 ERA. The big southpaw also had 47 strikeouts in 40.1 innings of work.
Snelten, who was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 30th round out of high school, has made 4 appearances so far this season for the Golden Gophers. His record is 0-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 14.2 total innings of work. Opposing batters are hitting only .174 against Snelten, who made his first start of the year on February 25 against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Snelten tossed 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball while only giving up 3 hits, and striking out 3, picking up a no-decision in Minnesota’s 3-1 loss.
As a true freshman in 2011, Snelten pitched in 13 games and finished with a 5.22 ERA, striking out 18 batters in 29.1 innings of work. Snelten picked up his first collegiate career win on May 17th, 2011, with an 8-5 victory over North Dakota State.
The University of Minnesota (3-4) will host Stony Brook on March 10th at the Metrodome.
March 7, 2012
Honkers Add Antelopee Outfielder
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers have made the signing of Lamar Community College outfielder Ben Lahn official. Lahn is a 6’3”, 215-pound sophomore from Westminster, Colorado.
In 15 games this season for the Antelopes, Lahn is batting .229 with 1 homerun and 9 RBIs, 16 runs, and 2 stolen bases as the team’s cleanup hitter. His best game of the young season so far came on February 18th against Miles Community College when Lahn went 3 for 4 with a homerun and 2 RBIs.
Lahn, in his freshman year at Lamar in 2011, hit .385 with 16 homeruns, 10 doubles, and 52 RBIs, with a slugging percentage of .791. His 16 homeruns were good for 4th in the nation. Lahn’s solid freshman campaign earned him a spot on the All-Region 9 Team.
Lamar Community College will play Otero Junior College at home on Wednesday, March 7th.
February 22, 2012
Honkers Add Big Vanderbilt LHP
(Rochester, MN)—The Honkers have added a big left-handed arm to their roster for this summer in Jared Miller. Miller, a 6’6”, 240-pound, Avon, Indiana native is playing in his freshman year at Vanderbilt University this spring.
Miller made his debut with Vanderbilt on February 17th against the University of Stanford Cardinals, in which the Commodores lost 8-3. Miller pitched the final two innings for Vanderbilt, giving up one run on four hits. He also had one strikeout, one hit batter, and threw a total of 31 pitches. Vanderbilt (0-3) will make their 2012 home debut on February 22nd against Oakland University.
Miller was a 2011 First-Team All-State selection for the state of Indiana after hitting .465 with 13 homeruns and 42 RBIs, while also showing success on the mound. Miller finished the year with a 5-1 record and 1.06 ERA, with one save. Miller’s 3 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 13.4 K/7 innings were all best on the team. Jared was All-Conference from 2009-2011, and an Indiana Mr. Baseball candidate his senior year, while also garnering Indiana All-West Player of the Year honors. Miller holds Avon High School career records in homeruns (20), RBIs (83), innings pitched (142.2), and strikeouts (204).
Opening day for the 2012 Rochester Honkers is on May 30 when the Honkers travel to Waterloo, IA to take on the Waterloo Bucks. The home opener is Thursday, May 31st against the same Waterloo Bucks. Game time is 7:05PM. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale for the 2012 season. Call the Rochester Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
February 20, 2012
Future Honkers Combine for Nearly Perfect Doubleheader
(Rochester, MN)—Two future Honkers started their season off on the right foot over the weekend, with dominant pitching performances. Neosho County Community College sophomores Matt Strahm and Adam Giacalone were the team’s top two pitchers as freshman in 2011, and will seem to continue their reign as extremely talented pitchers in 2012 before playing for Rochester this summer.
Neosho County (6-0) played a double-header against Brown Mackie College on Saturday. Strahm, the team leader in complete games in 2011, was the starter in game one. Strahm allowed just one hit over seven innings of work, while striking out 14 to pick up the complete game one-hit shutout victory. The only hit allowed by Strahm was on a second inning slowly hit groundball through the infield. Neosho County won game one 1-0.
Seemingly impossible to match Strahm’s game one performance, Giacalone made his first start on the mound of 2012 and threw his first collegiate no-hitter. Giacalone, who threw two perfect games in his senior season in high school, faced just one more than the minimum in game two, striking out five in the 8-0 victory. In six games this season, Giacalone is also hitting .636 with 1 homerun and 10 RBIs.
February 17, 2012
Honkers Bring Back Veteran, Add another Titan
(Rochester, MN)—Two Cal State Fullerton Titans will bring their talents to Rochester this summer. Junior Outfielder Anthony Hutting, a two-time Honker, and sophomore catcher Chad Wallach, have officially signed with the Honkers Baseball Club for 2012.
The 6’0”, 185-pound Hutting will return for his third consecutive season with Rochester. Hutting, the former 38th round pick of the Texas Rangers, will play a veteran role this summer, with two seasons of vital playing time under his belt. In his first year with the Honkers in 2010, Hutting hit .252 with 1 homerun. Last year with the Honkers, Hutting played in 44 games, batting .261 with 1 homerun and 13 RBIs. Hutting also showed his speed on the base paths, swiping 11 bases successfully. In his sophomore year at Cal State Fullerton in 2011, Hutting appeared in 43 games, 17 as a starter, and registered a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield.
Chad Wallach is a 6’3”, 225-pound Yorba Linda, California native. Wallach, the two-time All-Orange Coast League first-teamer for Calvary Chapel High School, was drafted in the 43rd round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad is the son of former five-time MLB All-Star, and current Dodgers third base coach, Tim Wallach. Older brothers Matt and Brett are working their ranks in the Dodgers and Cubs organizations, respectively. Chad hit .400 in his junior year with 6 homeruns and 33 RBIs at Calvary Chapel, and a robust .489 with 10 longballs and 45 RBIs in his senior season, earning him second-team All CIF honors. Wallach played in 20 games, starting 4 of them, last year as a freshman at CSF. He hit .222 with 3 RBIs. Wallach, a former corner infielder, was moved to behind the plate for the Titans in 2012.
The Titans will open their 2012 season on Friday, February 17th against the #1 ranked Florida Gators in Gainesville Florida.
February 10, 2012
Honkers Add Two More Volunteers
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club continues to attract talented players from big name colleges. On Friday, February 10th the Honkers signed two promising University of Tennessee freshmen. Jared Allen, a 6’1”, 220-pound outfielder, and David Horne, a 6’3”, 215-pound right-handed pitcher will switch their colors from orange and white to teal and black this summer in Rochester.
Allen, a Delano, Tennessee native, will attempt to be the most feared and hard hitting “Jared Allen” in Minnesota this season (Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen), and with the numbers he put up in high school, that task may prove to be manageable. As just a young seventeen-year-old, Allen will be undoubtedly the youngest Honker on the team, but that doesn’t mean he is any less dangerous at the plate. In his senior year at Polk County High School, Jared hit .514 with 14 homeruns and 62 RBIs on his way to capturing All State First-Team honors. At the 10th annual Tennessee VS Georgia All-Star Game in 2011, Allen led Tennessee to an 18-4 victory, while collecting four hits. Allen hit 2 singles, a double, and a triple to win the game’s MVP award. As just a freshman this season at Tennessee, Allen is projected to be the starting right fielder on opening day.
Horne played his high school ball at Columbia Central High School, whom he helped lead to back-to-back Class AAA state tournaments in his junior and senior year, including a runner-up finish in 2011. Horne finished his junior season with a 9-1 record, recording 68 strikeouts on the mound. He also hit .381 with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs. After a monster junior year, Horne returned in his senior year to hit .356 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs, earning first-team All-Mid State honors, and a spot on his fourth consecutive All-District squad. After former Tennessee head baseball coach Todd Raleigh recruited Horne in 2010, he expressed his excitement for the young power pitcher by describing him as a “two way player with a lot of upside.”
February 8, 2012
Honkers Sign Fighting Sioux Catcher
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers added a catcher to their lineup today, when they made the signing of University of North Dakota backstop Zach Trygstad official. Trygstad is a 6’0”, 200-pound UND sophomore, originally hailing from Wayzata, Minnesota.
In his freshman year at UND, Trygstad started in 42 games at catcher, playing in 43 games total. He finished the year with a .277 batting average, with 1 home run and 24 RBIs. His conference play was much more productive, as he hit .347 with 19 runs and 20 RBIs against teams in the Big West. Trygstad finished the season with 11 multi-hit games, and threw out 16 would-be base stealers. Zach will play his second collegiate season this spring before making his Northwoods League debut in Rochester this summer.
At Wayzata High School, Trygstad was a two-time All-Conference player. In his senior season, he finished with an excellent .478 batting average, while slugging 7 homeruns with 21 RBIs on his way to earning All-Metro second-team honors. Trygstad also showed a comfortable patience at the plate, picking up twice as many walks as strikeouts.
February 6, 2012
Top JUCO Player Signs with Honkers
(Rochester, MN)—Players who can dominate both on the pitching mound and from the plate are rare to come by, especially in players with just one year of college experience under their belt. The Honkers have officially signed Adam Giacalone, who is not only a terror with his pitching arm, but a slugging machine with the lumber. Giacalone is a 6’2”, 215-pound Shawnee, Kansas native who played as a freshman in 2011 at Neosho County Community College, where he achieved national attention as possibly the most talented junior college player in the nation.
Giacalone is a dominant right-handed pitcher and first baseman, with enough power to shake the ballpark, and all the necessary tools to become a very big player for the Honkers this summer. In 2011 with Neosho County CC, he developed a fear factor for opposing hitters, posting a 10-1 record with a 2.10 ERA. Adam has the ability to make bats miss the ball, tallying 83 strikeouts in 83.1 innings of work, good for one strikeout per inning, with one game where he struck out 17. His command of the plate is impressive as well, as he only registered 14 walks for the entire season. In 2010, as a senior at Shawnee Mission High School, Giacalone threw the first perfect game in school history, only needing 77 pitches (66 strikes) to do it. Two weeks later, he threw another one as if the first one wasn’t enough.
Giacalone’s hitting numbers are just as daunting. In 60 games for Neosho County CC, he hit for a robust .396 batting average, with 18 homeruns and an astonishing 102 RBIs, which is a school record. His slugging percentage of .786 shows that he can not only hit the longball, but can hit with power from gap to gap as well with 16 doubles and 2 triples in 2011. Giacalone’s monster season garnered him multiple accolades including Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year and NJCAA First-Team All-American honors. With heavy recruitment from big baseball schools like TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Nebraska, Giacalone decided to sign with the University of Tennessee for the 2013 season, as he will play one more year at Neosho County before travelling to Rochester to showcase his talents for the Honkers this coming season.
February 1, 2012
Ducks Migrate East for the Summer
(Rochester, MN)—A small flock of Oregon Ducks will be migrating east this summer to play for the Rochester Honkers. University of Oregon junior Ryan Hambright, sophomore Kyle Garlick, and freshman Scott Heineman will bring their talents to the Northwoods League this coming May. The Honkers have enjoyed the presence of Ducks players ever since the 2008-09 season, when the program ended a 26-year absence from intercollegiate competition.
Hambright, a 6’2”, 195-pound utility player/RHP from Corona, California is returning for his third consecutive year with the Honkers. Last summer, Hambright played most of the season with an arm injury before having surgery at the end of the summer. For the Honkers in 2011, Hambright played in 46 games with a .266 batting average with 2 home runs and 19 RBIs. At Oregon in 2011, he hit .189, largely due to the hurt elbow he suffered for the entire year. Hambright enjoyed a healthy and productive season in 2010 for the Honkers. For the season, he hit .364 with 4 homers and 28 RBIs in only 32 games played. His .364 batting average was the highest on the team. Hambright also pitched in relief in 5 games, posting a 1-1 record with 7 strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work.
Kyle Garlick is a 6’1”, 190-pound outfielder from Chino Hills, California. In his freshman year in 2011 at Oregon, Garlick was forced to miss the first 15 games of the season due to a broken hand injury. When he returned to the field, Garlick played in 32 games (started in 24) and hit .250 with 2 homeruns and 21 RBIs. In just his second collegiate career at-bat, Garlick hit a three-run home run to help beat San Diego on March 19th. A solid defender, Garlic did not commit one error in the outfield in all of 2011.
Scott Heineman is a 5’9”, 185-pound infielder/RHP from Pacific Palisades, California. Heineman will be playing in his first collegiate baseball season this spring. As a senior at Crespi High School in 2011, Heineman hit .358, with 4 home runs and 19 RBIs. As a pitcher the same year, Heineman finished with a 2-1 record and 2.33 ERA in 27 total innings.
January 26, 2012
Honkers Sign Switch-Hitting Machine
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers have made it official with the signing of Dustin Torchio, a switch-hitting junior infielder from the University of the Pacific. Dustin is a 5’10” 160-pound, Santa Cruz, California native, who was selected as a first team All Big West Conference player in just his first full collegiate season.
As merely a sophomore last year at Pacific, Torchio lead the Tigers and the entire Big West Conference in batting average (.369). His 72 hits were good for fifth in the Big West, and his .419 on-base percentage ranked eighth in the conference. Torchio racked up an impressive 26 multi-hit games, meaning he collected at least two hits in exactly half of the number of games he started (52).
Torchio’s numbers for conference play were even more impressive. In 24 games against teams in the Big West, he hit an astonishing .477 with 17 runs scored, and posted an on-base percentage of .495. Dustin began the season at second base, but was switched over to third base after 19 games. After the move to the hot corner, he finished the final 33 games with a .459 batting average. For the Tigers, Torchio batted mostly out of the 2-spot in the batting order. Just to further prove how valuable of a hitter Dustin is, he also laid down 15 sacrifice bunts on the year. Torchio will be playing his first season in the Northwoods League this summer.
January 23, 2012
Honkers Add Two Jayhawks
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club made it official today on the addition of two more players, both from the University of Kansas. Outfielder Dakota Smith and infielder Justin Protacio are young freshman at Kansas, and the two Jayhawks will make their Northwoods League debut this summer.
Smith is a 5’11” 180-pound freshman from Leavenworth, Kansas. He graduated from Lansing High School where he was a four-time All Sunflower League selection and was first team all-state selection his senior year. As a junior, Smith hit .500 with nine home runs, 35 RBI and 15 stolen bases. At the 2011 Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, NM, Smith was awarded the tourney’s Most Valuable Player honors as well as the Comcast Big Stick award. He was ranked as the No. 25 high school outfielder in 2011 by the Baseball Draft Report.
Protacio is a speedy 5’6” 160-pound freshman from Pearl City, HI. He played high school ball at the Mid Pacific Institute and was a three-time all-state selection and an All-Interscholastic League First Team selection three consecutive years. In 2008, Protacio helped lead the Mid-Pacific American Legion summer league team to a Hawaii State Championship and a Western Region runner-up finish.
Opening day for the 2012 Rochester Honkers is on May 30 when the Honkers travel to Waterloo, IA to take on the Waterloo Bucks. The home opener is Thursday, May 31st against the same Waterloo Bucks, game time is 7:05PM. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale for the 2012 season. Call the Rochester Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.
December 19, 2011
Honkers Announce their 2012 Schedule
(Rochester, MN)—The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today their complete game schedule for the 2012 Northwoods League season. The Five-Time NWL Champions open their 19th season on May 30th, when they travel to Waterloo, IA to take on the Bucks @ 6:35pm. Their home opener will then take place on Thursday, May 31st, when the Waterloo Bucks prance back to Mayo Field for a 7:05pm first pitch. This will be the first time the Honkers and Bucks have played each other since the 2008 season.
The 2012 season will be the third consecutive season that Northwoods League teams will only play within their division. The Honkers, a member of the North Division, will play a 70 game schedule in 75 days, beginning on May 30th and ending at home on August 12th. They will play each North Division opponent 10 times, five home and five away. The first half of the season will be complete at the end of play on Wednesday, July 4th with the second half beginning the following day. The NWL Playoff Series will take place from August 13th through August 18th. The winner of each division’s two halves will meet in a best-of-three divisional playoff series (August 13-15) with the winners advancing to the Summer Collegiate World Series (August 16-18), also a best-of-three.
Start times for the Rochester Honkers 2012 home games will be 7:05pm for games Monday through Saturday and Sundays will all begin at 1:05pm. The Honkers will also play two midweek day games (June 26 and July 16) both starting at 1:05pm.
General admission ticket prices for the 2012 season will remain the same as 2011. Adults are only $6.00 while kids and seniors are $5.00. In 1994, the Honkers general admission tickets were $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for kids and seniors.
The Rochester Honkers are one of two remaining teams (Wisconsin (Wausau) Woodchucks) from the Northwoods League’s inaugural season of 1994. The Honkers have won a league high Five NWL Championships: (1994, 1997, 1999, 2006, 2009).
For the Rochester Honkers complete schedule, game times and ticket information, go to www.rochesterhonkers.com. The entire NWL schedule is available at www.northwoodsleague.com.
